My Soul to Keep
by TinyDancer365
Summary: *Cont'd from Bloodlines* In the months after Hope's birth, New Orleans was left under a new status quo, but the Mikaelsons are determined to gain control of their city back. Giuliana struggles with her new life as a vampire while Audrey's powers continue to flourish. Klaus and Hayley wish to make New Orleans a safe place for their daughter and Elijah tries to keep his family whole.
1. Rebirth

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 1: Rebirth**

 **Beta:** **PrincessOfSilence**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing of TO. I only own my characters and my story.**

* * *

To many, the Olmstead Foundry was just an abandoned building that had been left to be a haven for runaways, bums and rats. But to Elijah, it was a forgotten beacon of what New Orleans used to be during its prime. The building was nestled in the woods just on the outskirts of the river that ran through the city. When the company went under, the building remained untouched for many years until today. Ever since the Guerreras moved into New Orleans, they took it upon themselves to increase the influence of human tourism in the area. They saw the Olmstead Foundry building as a way to bring in more revenue to the city if it were to be knocked down and replaced with a casino. While it would be a good idea, Elijah was not about to let that happen. He set up a meeting with a realtor and some of Francesca's lackeys to persuade the realtor that this building needed to be saved and not turned into a tourist attraction.

Little did the Guerreras know, this meeting had a second agenda intact.

With each passing full moon, the moonlight rings drew their power from Klaus, weakening him. After a suitable grieving time had come and gone, Elijah made it his business to find the wearers of the twelve rings that were made with his brother's blood. He did this with the help of Audrey who served as a second set of eyes for his plan. Once all twelve rings were located, they could act on how to get them back. Elijah's expensive suit offset the laid back attire of the Guerrera wolves and Audrey was dressed more professionally as well. After all, they did have to look the part as members of a foundation that wanted to preserve any historical buildings in the city. She donned a black pencil skirt with a matching blazer and a pair of pointed toe stilettos. Her dark waves had gotten longer, resting at her mid-back and her pale skin contrasted against the dark suit.

"Authentic cast-iron columns, an original Bloomry forge, fueled by a charcoal furnace." Elijah awed at the building's features. Sure, it was old and decrepit, but it held a lot of New Orleans history and culture that Elijah wished to preserve.

"It does have some modern elements." Audrey pointed to the fire sprinkler system that had been installed in the ceiling at a later date due to building regulations, but they could hardly be seen. "But I feel they add a certain charm, don't you agree?"

"The modern elements blend quite nicely indeed." Elijah nodded thoughtfully and continued his self-guided tour of the building. "My foundation has aligned itself with the city's Historical Preservation Society. We have a vested interest in seeing this building protected."

"This place is a dump!" One of the stockier wolves grumbled. "The Guerrera family would be doing this city a favor."

When the Original turned to face the man who spoke up, his eyes were immediately drawn to the ring that rested on his finger. It was a gold setting with a square black stone in the middle; at last, the final ring had been found. Elijah then cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Well, unfortunately, under the Preservation Act of 1966, we cannot allow the Guerreras to demolish one of the city's original foundries. Even if it is for something as noble and distinguished as a casino."

Audrey clapped her hands together once and smirked widely. "Now that's all settled. You gentlemen can kindly leave."

The wolf snarled under his breath and grunted at his pack mates. They all scowled as they shuffled towards the door with the realtor in tow. They now had to explain to Francesca that they'd lost the piece of land she so desperately wanted and they were not looking forward to getting chewed out by her.

"So, thank you, gentleman. Do give my best to Francesca." Elijah gave them a fake smile. The ring bearing man had just reached the door frame when he bent down to swipe something off the side of his shoe. Audrey's eyes glinted dangerously and she saw the perfect opportunity to recover the ring and bring it back to Klaus. She lifted her hand, ready to smite him, but Elijah gripped her wrist hard, breaking her concentration. She glared at him as the man straightened up and walked away.

"Really? You couldn't let me play just a little bit?" She growled. "I could have made his head explode and we could have taken the ring."

"Not now." He let go of her and she held her wrist. "We must be patient."

"I think we've been patient enough." She cursed at the minimal bruising she felt forming along her skin.

"It was never your strongest virtue." Elijah pulled at the jacket of his suit, smoothing it out.

Audrey hummed at the back of her throat and sauntered toward the exit. Elijah followed her and they both climbed into his car, anxious to get home and tell Klaus that the final piece of the puzzle was in place. With the last ring in sight, they could begin to take back New Orleans. The car ride was nice and smooth; of course Audrey knew it would be because Elijah was driving. She sat silently in the passenger seat, tapping her toe to the song playing from the radio. She felt a sense of pride that Elijah had asked her to help him with his search for the rings, but she then realized that he didn't have too many other people to ask. Hayley was spending more time in the bayou with her people rather than at the compound, while Giuliana was still adjusting to vampirism. So, in actuality, Elijah's choices were limited, but she was honored that he came to her anyway.

After all, he could have gone by himself.

* * *

"I suppose we shall have to call this your 'white period.'" Elijah gathered up the piece of canvas that Klaus had thrown across his studio. Mozart's Requiem in D Minor K 626-3 was playing on a record player when he and Audrey entered and they were greeted with a very angry and frustrated Klaus. Many of the canvases that had been stretched over wooden frame were white with not a color in sight. The events that followed Rebekah taking Hope into her care sent Klaus into a deep depression and his art suffered as well.

"I'm missing a crucial color in my palette—that of my enemies' blood." Klaus roared.

Elijah fiddled with the canvas and then placed it down next to an equally white canvas. "Well, I recommend a Venetian red, with a dash of rust."

"It's been months!" Klaus' temper exploded at his brother's effort to appease his mood. Audrey even shook in her stilettos as she stood behind Elijah. She and Klaus were certainly very distant over the past four months and it hurt her; she knew he didn't mean it, but she would respect his wishes and give him the space he needed. Sometimes he'd rant and rave, throwing things and destroying pieces of art until he'd retreat to his studio. He'd lock himself in there for days on end; not even coming out to feed. Audrey was at a completely loss; unsure of what to say, what to do to ease his pain.

"I've adhered to our plan. Sit and do nothing, sell our grief. And now, my child is safely away, and another full moon is upon us. Another night of pathetic weakness as the moonlight rings steal my strength!" Klaus continued his raging. Both Audrey and Elijah were speechless. He'd done everything that was asked of him, but deep down he was a father who missed his daughter.

"The nursery is killing me." He added, his tone a lot calmer, but he was still upset. His hands shook at his side, his fingers clenching and unclenching. "I need to act. I-I-I need-I need to spill blood."

"Well, then, you'll be pleased to know that I've located the last of the twelve rings forged with your blood." Elijah told him.

"We would have come home with one, but your darling brother wouldn't let me have my fun." Audrey crossed her arms over her chest. Klaus looked up and was a bit surprised to see her standing beside his brother. In his rage, he hadn't even realized she came in.

"And have a dead body on our hands?" Elijah raised his eyebrow at her.

"We'll have plenty of bodies on our hands soon enough." Klaus' mood perked up slightly. He was giddy with the thought of adding the color he so desperately needed for his painting. "Brother, gather Hayley and Giuliana and bring them here. It's time."

Elijah turned on his heel and exited the studio, but Audrey was rooted in her spot. It had been days since she'd seen Klaus or even talked to him. So why now was she robbed of words to say to him. It seemed like an eternity that the two were standing at opposite sides of the room. Four blue eyes stared into each other, but Audrey was the first to break the stare. She moved to leave the studio, but her eyes caught the canvas that Elijah had put aside. She picked it up and ran her hand over the blank space. She peered over her shoulder to see that Klaus had turned his back to her and he was rifling through his painting supplies.

Klaus had set aside a paintbrush and some colors when he heard the light clacking of heels come closer to him. Audrey stood there with the canvas he'd thrown and she extended it out to him. He took it from her and just as she pulled away, he grasped her wrist tightly. Her heart beat loudly against her ribcage as his gaze wandered over her body and she was sure he heard it because his lips were now turned up into a smirk. After his appraisal of her, he released her wrist and she raised her eyebrow questioningly at him.

"Did you find that suit in Elijah's closet?" He asked and Audrey couldn't help but let a small laugh leave her lips. It felt good to hear him make a joke again.

"No," she shook her head. "It was a little something I bought. You know, I had to look the part of a woman who wants to preserve old buildings."

Klaus chuckled at that and leaned himself against his work table while Audrey crossed her arms over her chest and jutted out her right hip. "Well, you certainly succeeded."

"As I always do." She smirked at him and shifted her weight.

The hybrid pushed himself off the table and moved closer to her. "I've missed that spitfire confidence of yours."

"Oh, yeah?" She slowly sauntered towards him. "What else have you missed of mine, hmm?"

"I would be here all morning if I had to list everything, love," he said.

They were now close enough to where Audrey could cup his cheeks and run her thumbs along the short stubble on his cheeks. "I've missed you."

Klaus' shoulders sagged and he took up her wrists. It felt wonderful to hear her say that. "I am sorry, Audrey. It was wrong to put you through this. I was so involved with my own grief that I pushed you away."

"I know, but I understood why." She told him. "This will all end soon and you can bring your baby home."

* * *

Sometime later, Elijah, Klaus, Giuliana, and Audrey were gathered around the dining room table in the compound. All four were anxious to move ahead with the plan to take back New Orleans. Hayley and Giuliana were seated at opposite sides of the table, a rather uncharacteristic dynamic of their friendship, but the two hadn't seen much of one another. Hayley would spend most of her time at the bayou while Giuliana was struggling to get used to being a vampire. While she had Elijah's help, she'd never been outside the compound before. No one forced her to stay there, but she was afraid of losing control once she stepped outside the walls that had been her home since she arrived in New Orleans. Her entire family grew up hating vampires and now she had become one. It was hard enough to wrap her head around, but it was slowly making a reality in her mind.

"We have the Guerreras where we want them. We have them waiting, we have them worried, and now, we know they're an army with no defenses against an Original." Klaus proclaimed.

"We don't know that for certain." Elijah spoke up.

Klaus shrugged his shoulders. "I'm willing to gamble."

"It's too risky!" His brother's tone was firm. "The stake didn't just disappear, someone has it."

"One enemy at a time! In the end, we'll slay them all." The hybrid's legs suddenly buckled and he braced himself against the table for assistance. Audrey's gaze caught sight of the full moon lurking outside the window before helping Klaus sit. She could feel how weak he was and knew that it was imperative to get these rings and destroy them.

"Tonight, we just have to plant the right seeds, and for that, we need help." He continued.

"We're taking the twelve original rings. Now, four of them sit on the hands of the Guerrera brothers. One on Oliver, one on Francesca, three with the home security detail, and the rest scattered amongst her lackeys. Now, each ring is distinguishable by its setting- gauche, like those that wear them." Elijah informed the group.

"If they believe they can get their hands on the stake, they will come for me when I am weak. Each ring you retrieve will strengthen me, but I will still at a disadvantage." Klaus pointed out.

"Ergo, any hope of our success depends entirely upon our working together."

"Done." Giuliana piped up. "Let's get this started."

"And what about the white oak stake?" Hayley asked. "Klaus has a point. If Francesca has it then we're as good as sitting ducks."

"Well, let's ask her." Audrey said and everyone turned to look at her oddly.

"Ask her?" Elijah raised an eyebrow at her.

"Mmhmm." She nodded with a smile on her face. She moved away from Klaus and pulled a free chair out from under the table, all the while earning strange glanced from her comrades. She sat herself down and placed her hands on the armrests. Her eyes fell closed and Elijah asked Klaus if any idea as to where this was going. The Original hybrid had no reply, he just continued to stare at Audrey who was deep in concentration.

Once her mind and body were focused, her fingers clenched around the wood and her back arched upward. Her eyes shot open and were now completely black, but she was still aware of what was happening in the room her body occupied. She'd used this power of hers a few times to check on Hope and Rebekah, but she never told Klaus. She worried that it would anger him if she did, so she kept it to herself. In this form, an invisible aura would appear in the area desired while the physical body would remain stationary. The aura could move around freely, listening to conversations and even move objects if Audrey willed it to do so. For this mission, they simply needed a fly on the wall.

Klaus rose from his chair and knelt in front of her, gently placing a hand on her knee to let her know he was with her. "What do you see?"

Audrey swallowed and squinted her black eyes. She let herself push into her aura that she'd sent into Francesca's home. It was as if she was a ghost, floating around the presences in the room. No one could see her and she made her way further into the room. Francesca was standing beside a woman who was sitting with short auburn hair.

"Francesca and...someone else."

"Describe them to me." He requested.

"A young girl. No older than sixteen." She replied.

"Davina?" Hayley raised her eyebrow.

"No," Audrey shook her head and refocused herself back into her vision of the inside of Francesca's home. She very slowly drew closer to the young girl who was seated at a table with candles around her. A map was spread out in front of her and she was muttering a spell.

"She's doing a...a locator spell." She gathered. "She's looking for the stake."

Klaus and Elijah exchanged a worried glance, but perhaps this would work out to their favor. If Francesca didn't know where the stake was, then the Guerreras had no weapon against them. Right now, both sides of the war were at a standstill. Audrey continued to keep her concentration on the witch while she worked the spell. She could see no movement on the map and the witch shook her head. Francesca was angry with the answer that was given as to why she stopped, but Audrey took this as fuel for the fire.

The witch in the vision suddenly looked up and Audrey panicked, shutting herself down and her aura returned back to her own body. Her shoulders sagged and she gasped for air while her eyes returned back to normal.

"What happened?"

"The witch." She breathed. "She could sense me in the room. I had to stop. I was worried she was onto us."

"And the stake?" Giuliana asked.

"She thinks it's being cloaked," Audrey said. "She doesn't know who is doing it."

"So as of this stage in the game, we're ahead, right?" The vampire was hopeful.

"Not exactly." Elijah shook his head. "We still don't know who has the stake."

"We can't worry about that now." Audrey noted. "Either we move forward with this plan or we let another full moon pass us."

"No." Klaus growled. "We do this now."

* * *

Audrey locked the doors to Klaus' art studio and melded the lock shut with her magic. Elijah had taken Giuliana with him to Francesca's mansion while she and Klaus were in charge of staying inside. Hayley patrolled the grounds of the compound and everyone was in place for the plan to begin. Klaus was kneeling on the floor, his white canvases surrounding him as another moonlight ring pulled on his energy. He growled and hissed before falling onto his hands and knees, cursing the day he ever thought to make those damn rings and he swore that he would never make a deal with the devil again. Audrey waited anxiously, her powers at the ready to eliminate any and all enemies that got passed Hayley.

Speaking of deals, Elijah struck one with Cami when she had visited the compound earlier. She came looking for anyone who would listen to her pleas and she was lucky enough to bump into Elijah during her search. She feared coming to Klaus or Audrey with this plan might have ended her in an unmarked grave. The Guerreras would be baited that the white oak stake was hidden at the Olmstead Foundry and naturally, Francesca would send some of her men along, some of them would be wearing the rings. Once the wolves were lured there, Marcel would unleash his secret weapon, the liquefied wolfsbane that had been store up in the sprinkler system.

Klaus' back suddenly arched, but this time it was not from a lack of power. He felt a strong spurt shoot through his body, like he had been shocked by a bolt of lightning. His fingers curled against the floor and he smirked widely, feeling strength come back to him. Audrey looked up towards the ceiling and her eyes turned black again as she peered inside the foyer of the compound. Hayley had tracked the wolves and was fighting them off. She snapped the necks of two wolves, each wearing a ring and Audrey could practically see the power from the rings being transferred to Klaus. More wolves crowded around Hayley and then sprang into action, not a fear crossing her as the ripped them to bits. A sliver of a shadow rushing up the staircase caught Audrey's attention. She sent her aura after them as they wandered the upper rooms. The wolves sniffed around, their senses leading them toward the locked studio door.

Audrey blinked away the blackness that had surrounded her eyes. "They're here."

On cue, the doors shook as the wolves threw punches and kicks. Klaus leaned up to grip a canister of paintbrushes off his work table and he held one brush in each hand. Audrey stood closest to the door with glowing red eyes as she awaited the wolves.

* * *

"Just letting you know, this is a terrible time to teach me how to take down werewolves." Giuliana hissed from her position against the wall of the Guerrera mansion. She stayed hidden in the shadows with Elijah alongside her who was the epitome of calm while she was shaking like a leaf. She wasn't scared, per say, but her adrenaline was running at an all-time high. She felt as if her body would explode if she didn't act now.

"A word of advice." Elijah spoke softly and Giuliana turned her head to look at him. For a few moments he was stunned by how the moonlight cast a beacon of light along half of her face while the other portion was shrouded in the shadows of the night. Giuliana had had a while to go, but she'd grown into a beautiful vampire.

"Yeah?" Her hushed whisper stole him from his appraisal of her and he regained his composure.

"Stay away from their teeth." His reply made her roll her eyes and she looked back to the grounds of the mansion, hearing a noise among the bushes. Elijah saw her tense up, so he placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"I will lure him out. When the time comes, do not hesitate." He whispered in her ear and that alone caused a different emotion to run through her veins, but she pushed it down and focused on the sounds ahead.

"Promise me something." She kept her eyes forward and didn't wait for an answer from him. "When this is over, you'll teach me how to fight."

Elijah had a feeling that idea was stirring in her mind for quite some time, but he wanted her to come to him with a thirst to learn. He nodded and told her he would teach her just as a wolf appeared in plain sight. He was alone and Elijah knew that this would be Giuliana's test. He drew closer to her ear and squeezed her shoulder.

"Go."

She lept from her hiding spot like a bullet leaving the chamber of a gun and wrapped her legs around his waist. She threaded a hand in his hair and yanked his head to the side, exposing his fleshy neck which she bit into ferociously. The fresh blood on her tongue was a whole new experience for her. She'd been accustomed to blood bags, but there was nothing better than receiving blood straight from the vein. Her drink was interrupted when her prey stabbed a sharp knife in her back and she hissed. The wolf threw her off him and she grappled for the knife while squirming on the ground. Amber eyes gleamed in the dark and he pounced on her. The pair wrestled and Giuliana cursed Elijah's useless advice as his teeth got dangerously close to her skin. With a good grip and impressive force, she tossed him off her and his body hit the wall near a window. His blood spattered along the glass and Giuliana could vaguely hear people inside the mansion. Once the knife was out of her back, she slit the man's throat and snatched the ring from his finger.

Elijah appeared from the shadows and handed her a handkerchief from his suit jacket pocket. "Well done."

"Thanks for the advice." She wiped her lips, but most of the blood was still stained on her skin. They were both alerted by the door of the mansion opening and a handful of Francesca's security detail rushing outside. Giuliana handed back Elijah's handkerchief and he placed it in his pocket. The five men surrounded them and the vampires stood their ground, ready to take them down.

"Good evening." Elijah greeted them cheerfully.

* * *

"You're really considering painting at a time like this?!" Audrey growled just as the doors to the studio flew off the hinges. Her magic threw the three men in separate directions, scattering them among the room. One crashed through a set of easels while the other two landed by Klaus' work station. The hybrid felt another surge of power and stood to his full height, armed with a pair of paintbrushes.

Audrey took the wolf by the easels, pinning him to the wall and boiling his blood from the inside out. Klaus skewered both men that jumped at him, a paintbrush through each of their throats and he dragged their corpses closer to his canvas. A fourth wolf was now in the room and aimed his gun at the back of Klaus' head. Audrey extended her hand toward him and his eyes suddenly began to glow red. He turned his aim from Klaus to the wolf Audrey held captive and shot him directly in the head. His body slumped down to the floor and Audrey's magic made the shooter place the gun inside his mouth and pull the trigger. She shielded herself from the blood as to not get any on her face and she plucked the rings off each lackey, giving Klaus even more power than ever.

The hybrid knelt down beside his kills and ripped the paintbrushes from their throats. He took up one of them, dipped the bristles into the bloody wounds and made a neat circle on his piece of canvas. He continued to paint, the final color of his canvas restored while Audrey gathered the other two corpses at the opposite end of the room. She tossed them over the balcony, their bones hitting the ground with a sickening crack. She closed the doors to the balcony behind her and checked the status of the compound. All of the wolves had been killed and there were no more rings to be attained there. All they had to wait on was word was from Elijah and Giuliana. She sauntered to Klaus who had a red moon painted on his canvas and she ran a hand through his short hair. The wolf inside him was suddenly awakened, a heady lust rolling down his back. He smirked up at her, an amber hue glinting in his eyes.

In a sudden flash, Audrey's body was pressed tightly against the wall and his lips were fused to hers. She gasped into his mouth, a bit taken back by his brashness, but she soon melted in his arms. He hoisted her up in his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist while she cleared the surface of the work table with her magic. Paint canisters and brushes crashed to the floor, but Klaus was hardly concerned. Audrey's hands worked to get his jacket off of him and Klaus ripped her blazer wide open. Klaus thanked whatever gods above that she was only wearing a bra underneath as he bit and sucked on her neck. Audrey moaned hotly, her fingers tugging at his hair as he thrust against her. She could feel his hands pushing her skirt up to her hips and she worked frantically to get his pants unbuttoned. His tongue toyed over her collarbone, drawing all sorts of shapes and just as Audrey begged him not to tease her anymore, he slid oh-so slowly inside her core. Her mouth hung open and her head fell back over her shoulders. Klaus immediately went to her neck, embedding his fangs deeply into her pale skin. Audrey brought one of his hands to her breasts, squeezing them for she was at a loss for words to tell him what to do. His passion and need shook her entire body and the table with each rough thrust and she keened against him, moaning loudly as if wanting all of New Orleans to know that her king had returned to his rightful throne.

* * *

Francesca and her remaining brothers rushed to the foyer of the mansion following another blood spatter on one of the frosted windows. What she had feared was coming true and she was running out of defenses to protect her. She treaded carefully with her brothers surrounding her and the front door opened on its own. They shied away from it, but looked for a person who could have opened it. The severed head of one of her men rolled through the opening, tracking blood onto the expensive rug and it thudded against the bottom step of the staircase. Francesca and her brothers cautiously walked towards the door to see Elijah and Giuliana waiting patiently for them on the front door. She suddenly remembered the magic rule when it came to vampires, even Originals: they could not enter without an invitation. So, Elijah and his baby bloodsucker could stand there all night since Francesca would be safe in their home.

"It's fine. They can't come in." She told her brothers with an air of confidence.

"Can't we?" Elijah was slightly amused by her arrogance.

Francesca chuckled heartily. "Don't bluff me. You can't win."

"You mobsters all suffer from such hubris." Elijah smiled widely. "Did you know Al Capone thought himself invincible back in his day? And, in the end, he was sentenced to the wretched filth of Alcatraz, for which of his atrocities? Anyone?"

The group remained silent, exchanging clueless glances to see if any of them knew the answer to Elijah's little history lesson. Giuliana sighed and tapped her foot against the porch, her patience becoming thin.

"Well, now we've established that they're all idiots." She muttered under her breath.

"A failure to pay his taxes. I suppose the devil's in the details, isn't it?" Elijah continued and leaned himself against the door frame. He scanned the inside of the mansion and was quite impressed with the decor and attention to detail. "My, my, you have a beautiful home, here."

Giuliana could see Francesca becoming more and more nervous with each calm word that came out of Elijah's mouth. She could sense the subtle rise in her heart beat, the light sheen of sweat along her brow and the anxious gulping of her throat. Francesca tried to cover it with a smile, but Giuliana could see straight through it. She could even see her brothers, as big as they were, starting to worry.

Elijah ran his hand along the smooth wood finish of the frame. "I was so pleased when the city took my suggestion to protect its heritage status and invoke imminent domain."

Francesca's confident smirk faded into an expression of pure horror. Elijah had her right where he wanted her. If imminent domain was invoked, that meant her home was no longer her home.

"I suppose that means this house now belongs to the public. And, as such, anyone can enter without invitation." Elijah continued and stepped aside, gesturing for Giuliana to enter. "Ladies first."

"Such a gentleman." She gawked and held Francesca's frozen gaze as she stepped off of the porch and into the house. Elijah followed behind her and they were both grinning as Francesca's brothers closed around her. In the blink of an eye, Giuliana and Elijah took out a brother each which made Francesca run for her life.

She made it to the back door of the house, all the while, her brother's gruesome screams shaking her to the core. She gripped a fire poker near the fireplace to wield, but grew worried hearing complete and total silence. No doubt her brothers were dead, but why had the two vampires grown quiet? Hearing a creaking floorboard, she whipped around with her weapon clutched tightly in her fists, but no one was there. Her palms were sweating and her heart was drumming loudly in her ears. A vase suddenly crashed to the ground and she swung at whatever was in front of her, but realized it was only a shadow. Tears stung her eyes, she was being toyed with and she hated it. She was supposed to be top dog, but she had fallen to the bottom of the food chain in a matter of minutes.

"Boo!" Giuliana's cheerful voice made Francesca gasp and trip over her own feet. She landed hard on her rear and was now staring up at a very bloody vampire. Francesca tried to whack Giuliana with the poker, but in seconds, it flew away from her and she was left without a weapon.

"I'm in a pretty good mood tonight, so I'm going to ignore the fact that you tried to hit me with that." The vampire smirked and backed Francesca into a corner. "I'm feeling generous, so I'm going to let you live."

Francesca let out a breath she was holding in for what felt like hours. She slumped against the wall behind her. Giuliana then dropped a set of keys in Francesca's lap and placed her hands on her hips.

"Run." Giuliana disappeared as if she'd never been there and Francesca took up the keys. It was to her car that she kept in the garage. Taking Giuliana's visit as a blessing, she rushed out of the house.

* * *

"Well, I would say that tonight was very successful." Audrey assembled the rings and placed them on the table in the compound. This nightmare with the moonlight rings would finally be over once the rest were returned.

"You can say that again." Klaus smirked from beside her and she wiggled her eyebrows at him. He knew he'd have to clean up his studio after the mess he and Audrey made during their passion filled affair, but he'd worry about that at another time. Elijah and Giuliana entered the room and placed their remaining rings on the surface of the table.

"Done and done." The green eyed vampire smiled with glee. "So, what now?"

"I'll deactivate the rings and _you_ ," she poked Klaus' shoulder and rose from her seat. "Better not think about making these damn rings again."

Klaus nodded, a smirk painting his lips. "Yes, dear."

Audrey flicked her hair over her shoulder, sending him a heated glare to which Klaus continued to smirk at her. While she placed the rings inside a bowl with steaming hot coals, Elijah took note of the white wife beater she was wearing as opposed to her blazer she was in before. No doubt the jacket had been disposed of, but that wasn't what caught Elijah's eye. The muscles of her shoulder shifted beneath her reddened skin that was sporting three long scratch marks that belonged to his brother. If what he was imagining happened upstairs, he could only fathom the condition of the art studio. He was happy for his brother, having reasserted himself within New Orleans, but he was unenthused about the cleaning crew he'd have to hire.

"Stop staring, Elijah," Audrey said as she picked up a pitcher of water. "Wouldn't want your eyes to bug out of your skull."

The Original cleared his throat and adjusted his tie while Giuliana giggled quietly. The witch then poured the water into the bowl with the coals and the rings. The moment the water made contact with the coals, they sizzled and the rings began to disintegrate. The settings melted away and the stones floated to the top before giving way as well. Droplets of Klaus' blood remained in the water once all of the stones were destroyed.

"It's done." She announced and placed the pitcher back down on the table.

"And what of Francesca?" Klaus asked.

"I let Hayley get her." Giuliana replied. "As much as I wanted to tear her limb from limb, I knew that Hayley wanted to finish her off."

Klaus nodded to Giuliana as if he were impressed with her and then smirked at Elijah. "Better be careful, brother. This one already seems to be quite blood thirsty."

"Actually, Niklaus, Giuliana showed nothing but control and bravery tonight." Elijah's compliment nearly made Giuliana's head explode. She was so overjoyed that she was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. Elijah smiled back at her, making her heart flutter and skip a few beats. Audrey noticed the looks shared between the two of them bit her bottom lip coyly.

"If you two are done staring at each other, I'd like to take my leave." Klaus stood up from his seat.

"On that note, I'll be in my room." Giuliana spoke up, turned on her heel and left. Elijah followed her, but not without bidding goodnight to his brother and Audrey. Once the doors shut, the hybrid flashed inside the compound and back out as quick as a wink. When he had returned, a bottle of wine was in one hand and two glasses in the other.

"What's all this?" Audrey raised an eyebrow as he poured the glasses.

"I'd like to make a toast." He handed her a glass and he took up one. "To being one step closer to taking back what is rightfully mine."

"I'll drink to that." Audrey clinked her glass daintily against his and went to drink, but she stopped herself. "And one step closer to bringing Hope home."

They clinked their glasses again and Audrey drank, but Klaus didn't. An overwhelming shroud of guilt loomed around him and he couldn't shake it. His gaze was then brought back to the destroyed rings in the bowl and his emotions grew exponentially. Those rings were one of the many reasons why he couldn't be with his daughter. He could list every reason, but he knew that would only make him sink farther into despair. Audrey noticed the sudden shift in him and watched as he walked slowly back to the table like he was a zombie. He stared back into the bowl, the droplets of his blood had disbursed into the water and turned it pink. He was so wrapped up in himself that he almost didn't realize that Audrey had joined him.

"Klaus?" Her voice was soft and melodic, like a lullaby.

Without taking his watering eyes from the bowl, he spoke. "All of this...is my fault."

"I don't understand." Her forehead creased in confusion for his sudden confession.

"If I had just accepted Hayley's pregnancy instead of playing king..." He stopped speaking, a stabbing pain inside his heart at the selfishness that had become a second nature to him before Hope was taken away. "Instead, my greed and my envy robbed me of my daughter. My actions led to the release of the weapon that can kill not just me, but Elijah as well."

"You feel guilty." She said. "There was no way you could have kept Hope here. You and Hayley made the best decision to let Rebekah take her away."

"Because of my selfishness, I can't bring my daughter home. What kind of father am I?"

Audrey grasped his hands and squeezed them tightly. He finally looked back at her and he could see that even she was upset seeing him like this. "You gave your baby to the care of someone you trusted. You kept her away from people that would hurt her. You did all of that because you love her."

Not that she could even begin to understand his pain, but she definitely felt it. It rolled off him in waves that beat against everyone around him, pushing them away, so he wouldn't have them too close. Audrey was concerned in the beginning when she first heard that Klaus was going to have a child, but that worry was thrown to the wayside when she saw the lengths he'd go to in order to protect his daughter. She moved her hands to catch his face and she smoothed her thumbs over his warm cheeks.

"You are a good father." She meant it; she really did. He needed to hear that his efforts to keep his daughter safe mattered. Audrey kissed his cheek and ran a hand through his short hair, a gentle smile on her lips. Klaus felt his own lips pulling upwards and he stood tall.

"Come, I'd like to show you something." He tugged her hand so she kept in pace with him and they climbed the stairs to the upper level of the compound. He led her to his art studio which was still a mess, but a fresh painting was perched on an easel. The wet paint glistened in the dim light, but that added a mystery to the piece. The French Quarter was beautifully painted and the details were exquisite. Even a few street performers playing their jazz instruments decorated the streets. A blood red moon hung high in the sky, the brilliant color a reminder of the blood spilled tonight.

"It's beautiful." Audrey beamed and walked closer to it. Klaus was always a talented artist, but this might have been his best work yet. He wound an arm around Audrey's waist, both sets of eyes staring at the painting. The last battle for New Orleans had been a blood bath. This new war would be no different, but Klaus was sure of one thing.

He'd be king again.

* * *

 **Hi everyone! Welcome to season 2 of The Originals. Hope you guys liked it and please give it a review :)**


	2. Alive and Kicking

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 2: Alive and Kicking**

 **Beta:** **PrincessOfSilence**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing of TO. I only own my characters and my story.**

* * *

 _Scratch._

Pearly white teeth raked over a plump bottom lip at the very sound that fell on her ears like nails on a chalkboard. The very sound was unnerving and so unpleasant. An olive hand trembled, gripping the mascara wand so tightly it could snap at any moment. Slowly, it was brought underneath a set of already full lashes and the brush stroked against them.

 _Scratch._

Giuliana dropped the wand onto her vanity table, giving up the pursuit of lining her eyelashes with mascara. She was never normally one to get so shaken up, but this task had her nerves in knots. She loved putting on mascara purely to fan out her lashes and to make her eyes look open. As a vampire, her natural beauty had become more refined and she wouldn't need make-up if she truly didn't want it, but she did want it, and so, she decided to try it out. She'd gotten to the mascara and with the first stroke of the brush through her lashes, she was met with the most earsplitting sound she experienced since she turned.

She could actually hear the bristles gripping onto her eyelashes, the black formula coating the follicles and the brush combing through her hair. She didn't even know that such a simple motion would generate a sound, let alone an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. For a few lingering moments, she sat perched on the stool at her vanity table and her super sensitive ears picked up even the more muffled sounds from further away. In the library, Elijah was flipping a page in his book, Hayley was entering the compound with heavy steps, and Klaus was stealing a kiss from a giddy Audrey in their bedroom. Giuliana pressed her hands to her ears, trying to block out the sound, but it only amplified it. It had suddenly become so loud she felt as if she was suffocating in the sounds around her.

 _Crash._

Time had suddenly frozen, the noises had been silenced and Giuliana was now staring at her fractured reflection in the mirror. Shards of glass poked dangerously from the surface and the knuckles on her right hand ached dully. Blood oozed from the cuts and Giuliana watched in awe as the veins stopped bleeding and her skin heal all on its own. With her other hand, she lightly trailed her fingertips over her newly repaired skin, it was soft to the touch and there were no scars or evidence she'd hurt herself. This would all be so new to her; the very idea was overwhelming that she could feel the walls closing in on her.

In a flash, she zoomed out of her room, nearly knocking into the door frame in the process, and she jogged down the stairs of the compound. Immediately feeling freer, she hopped down the steps, skipping some because she was moving so quickly. A lot of things were new to her as a vampire, but the speed was something she enjoyed more than she'd care to admit. The initial rushing between rooms would make her head spin, but she grew accustomed to it and she actually liked the feeling of speeding around. She had yet to fully grasp controlling her speed and other qualities, but she'd get a handle on them soon enough, she was positive of that.

She'd reached the bottom floor of the compound and already had her mind made up that she'd stroll along the French Quarter to clear her head, but her body suddenly froze with immense tension. Her back was hunched and the hairs on the nape of her neck stood on edge as a very familiar scent assaulted her nostrils. Trails of blood decorated the floor in a morbid pattern and her eyes followed them to a dead body that was crumpled near the fountain. Giuliana covered her mouth, trying to stop the smell from getting to her, but it only got worse. Her grip on the railing tightened so hard that her knuckles turned milky white and she could feel the metal bending beneath her fingers.

Before anyone could arrive to see her in her panic, she was out of the compound and stomping down the nearest street towards the Quarter. She just had to get outside and away from that rotting body. She gulped down the fresh air, wishing to fill her nostrils with a scent other than blood. As she drew closer to the Quarter, the streets grew more crowded and she was now quickly dodging people coming out of shops. This was the part about vampirism she hated. The thirst. Sometimes it would be under control, but other times, it would have such a hold on her that she could feel herself suffocating. She knew she had more to go as far as gaining more control, but just when she felt like she had a handle on it, she would lose it.

Just as she rounded a corner, she was firmly pressed against the outer wall of a shop. The hands on her shoulders were strong, yet comforting and Giuliana's entire body nearly fell slack seeing who had come to her aide. Elijah's dark eyes were scanning her body language, gauging her emotion, and peering deep inside her soul. She suddenly became embarrassed that she had lost control in front of him; a man who was the epitome of control.

"Elijah...I'm sorry." She hushed, trying to look anywhere but him. She was ashamed that she was running and didn't want him to see her like this.

"Listen to me, it was not your fault." His soothing voice washed over her like a wave, cooling her fiery nerves. It was working, but seeing her so shaken reminded him what it was like to be a newly turned vampire. He had his own struggles after he was turned, but those were dark secrets that he liked to keep hidden away. Klaus was trying to assist Hayley with her grief by taking her out to hunt, but it had backfired and she drained witches and brought them back to the compound. Elijah was naturally annoyed that he'd have another mess to clean up, but he was more worried how Giuliana would handle it.

"Hayley is having a difficult time controlling herself." He added with a hint of disdain in his tone.

Her green eyes were frantically darting everywhere. "I saw the blood and...and I panicked. I had to get away from it."

"It's alright." He calmed her. "You are still a young vampire. You have yet to gain control over your senses."

Giuliana stopped her struggling against him, which she was unaware that she was doing, and she let her shoulders sag. "I just didn't want to hurt anyone."

Once Elijah could see that she had calmed herself down, he let go of her shoulders and took a step back to allow her some space. Their eyes met and he nodded slowly. "I know."

Unknown to the pair, a familiar face was watching them, however, his true face was hidden by a new mask, especially nowadays. A boyishly handsome young man leaned against a column outside a shop from across the street and a smirk crept upon his lips. He studied the pair carefully, knowing that they were too enthralled in one another to notice him and he crossed his arms over his chest. His new body was treating him quite well and he made a mental note to thank his mother for doing a nice job of seeking one out for him. He used to go by the name Kol Mikaelson, but since being in a different body, he'd have to hide his true identity. He called himself Kaleb now, but he was unsure if this was the name of his host body or one his darling mother, Esther, picked out for him.

"Well, well. Looks like pretty Giuliana is alive and kicking after all." He whistled low, his gaze still locked on his brother and the woman he was trying to comfort. The very woman that helped to put a stake in his heart and banish him to the Other Side for the remainder of his days. A lapis lazuli stone glinted brightly from the ring on her finger and he raised his eyebrow in contemplation. It had been some time since he wore one, but he would know that stone and its properties anywhere.

"Perhaps not alive, but still kicking." He clicked his teeth. So, it seemed that Giuliana was now a vampire, but it left Kaleb wondering who turned her. His money was set on Elijah judging by how he was attending to her. Now that she was in New Orleans, maybe he'd have some fun with that, but for now, he was eyeing a cute little brunette that had exited the record shop. Mommy dearest would have to wait until he figured out who she was, so he pushed himself off the pole and sauntered across the street, eager to pick the brain of this young woman.

* * *

The sun had just set over the Lafayette Cemetery when Klaus and Audrey entered past the metal gated. The shadows cast off the tops of the tombstones were like long fingers that were trying to crawl from under the ground. Klaus had received a tip that someone was making moonlight rings for a pack of wolves and he refused to let this go on any further. He stomped his boots into the earth, his jaw set and his eyes ablaze for any movements. Audrey had come with him as an insurance policy and to destroy the rings if need be, however she refused to be left at the compound to twiddle her thumbs. They weaved among the headstones and mausoleums, eager to get to the bottom of this.

"What happened to decorum?" Klaus called out into the night and was met with silence. "Does no one greet their guests anymore?"

"They're here." Audrey's fingers twitched by her side. "I can feel them."

Slowly, the rebel wolves came out of their hiding places. Some were so stupid as to take cover behind headstones while others were inside mausoleums. All of them had the same expression of loathing and their jaws practically snapped at the woman with him. The wolves approached them, but still kept their distance knowing that either of them could act if they felt like it. They'd all heard how the Mikaelsons took back the moonlight rings from the Guerreras and even though they had the numbers, they did not compare to Klaus' strength and Audrey's magic.

"Well, that's more like it." Klaus smirked to himself and brought himself to stand just slightly in front of Audrey. "Although, I am rather disappointed at how many of my once formidable brethren have been neutered by a sixteen year old girl." The wolves glowered at his insult, but they remained quiet. They passed glances between one another and Klaus stepped up to them.

"Where is she? Where is this witch who dares craft moonlight rings without my permission?" He asked them.

"Niklaus." A calm voice came from the shadows and Klaus turned to see the wolves parting ways as someone made their way through the throngs. Once the last of them moved, Klaus and Audrey were met with a small boned and short haired young girl. Audrey immediately recognized her from when she spied on Francesca the night they slaughtered the wolves for their rings. It was the witch who was looking for the white oak stake. Even from a vision, Audrey could sense something about this girl deep in her soul and that same nagging intuition came up again in person.

"I've been expecting you." Cassie's serene expression held her features as he met Niklaus face to face. She didn't break; not once. The hybrid even seemed a bit surprised on how well she carried herself. Audrey was put off by it, extremely put off, but she stepped up to stand beside Klaus.

"I see you've brought a guest." The young girl added after finally noticing Audrey and Klaus put a hand on her lower back.

"Well, I would not be so foolish to come alone to a meeting where I was unsure of what I would be faced with." Klaus told her. "This is Audrey Montgomery."

"I have heard many things about you." The younger witch regarded her civilly.

"All good things, I'm sure." Audrey grinned.

"Of course." Cassie's grin matched hers, but somehow it seemed as if she knew exactly who this woman really was. She did a once over of Audrey and then looked back to Klaus. "Shall we?"

* * *

"Black coffee please." Giuliana sat at the bar and placed her bag down beside her. She'd finally calmed down after the incident that happened earlier and she was happy to have a few quiet moments to herself. Elijah had left to meet with Marcel to discuss the white oak stake and its possible whereabouts. He did ask her to come along with him, but she figured to let the men handle their business. Hopefully they would find the stake soon since everyone was on edge that it was missing. Who could blame them? If any of the Originals were staked by it, their entire sire line would die along with them. It led Giuliana to wonder how people would react to bodies dropping all around them, but she pushed the morbid thought to the back of her mind when the bartender brought her coffee over.

"Thanks." She pulled a few bills from her purse and sipped from the mug. The liquid burned her tongue and she cursed herself for not waiting for it to cool down. She wondered if she'd ever get used to her new senses, but a part of her held the hope that she'd wake up one day she'd be okay. Her talk with Elijah earlier floated back into her head and he kept reinforcing that she needed to be patient with herself. At times she was patient, but at other times she rushed herself and it would end in disaster. She made a promise to herself that she would try her best despite everything going on around her. Her gaze caught a very familiar face, however it was one she hadn't seen in a long time. She hopped off the bar stool, coffee and purse in hand and she walked to meet the young witch.

"Davina?" The witch turned her head and greeted the vampire with a smile.

"Hey!" She greeted. "It's been a while."

"I know." Giuliana frowned at that and tried to hide it. "So, how have you been?"

"I'm good. I'm actually waiting for someone." She told her, a blush tinging her cheeks.

Giuliana's green eyes sparked with interest. "Oh?"

Davina shifted on her feet anxiously. "Yeah, it's this guy I met. He's...different."

"Good for you." Giuliana smiled widely. "Well, I won't keep you then." She turned to leave, but Davina's gentle hand on her forearm stopped her.

"Actually, would you mind waiting with me?" She asked meekly. "He's already a few minutes late, so if he doesn't show..."

"Say no more." The vampire nodded her head to a free table and the pair sat themselves down. Davina seemed to be more relaxed now, so Giuliana wanted to keep it that way. She could hear her heart beating loudly when she was talking about her mystery man and it was making her anxious.

"So, how have you been?" Davina's question made her squirm in her chair a little.

"I'm...okay, I guess." She replied. "I'm _adjusting_."

Davina's eyebrows rose and her forehead creased, not understanding what Giuliana was talking about. The vampire bit her bottom lip and lifted her right hand off her lap, perching it on the table's surface. At first, Davina was very much confused and she opened her mouth to retort, but Giuliana gave a wiggle of her fingers and the witch now knew what she had become. She was familiar with daylight rings—her best friend Josh wore one, so she could recognize it—but she was still bubbling with questions as to how Giuliana had become a creature of the night.

"When?" Her voice was as soft, as if almost afraid to ask.

"About four months ago." She replied.

"Are you...?"

"Hungry?" Davina nodded her head. "Oh, no. I made sure I ate before I came. Plus coffee helps with the cravings, you know?"

"I'm really sorry." The witch frowned.

Giuliana sipped from her mug and was going to answer, but the hairs at the back of her neck stood at a presence that was approaching them. A tall young man with alabaster skin and dark hair stepped up to the table and Giuliana caught Davina's smile. Ah, so this was her mystery date, she gathered. He was a cutie, complete with shining blue eyes that could hypnotize anyone with just a passing glance.

"Hi Kaleb." Davina greeted him.

"I'm sorry I'm late. Had a bit of trouble finding the place." He replied with a distinct Irish brogue. Cute and an accent. Lucky girl, Giuliana chuckled to herself.

"It's okay." Davina then gestured to the vampire. "This is my friend, Giuliana."

"Quite the pleasure, love." Kaleb shook her hand with a friendly grin. "Will you be joining us tonight?"

"Oh, no." Giuliana shook her head and gathered her purse. "You two have fun."

"Please?" Davina begged.

"Yeah, stay for a little while." Kaleb agreed with her. "The more the merrier, I always say."

As much as Giuliana wanted to leave, she was faced with the idea of being home alone at the compound. Everyone had left to handle their business, so if she was to go home, she'd have no one to talk to or spend time with. She decided it might be best to accept the invitation and stay. Besides, she did want to know more about Kaleb. She wasn't exactly sure of what it was about him, but there was a suspicion in the back of her mind that was nagging her. Pushing it aside, she placed her purse and coffee mug down.

"Sure, I'll stay for a little while." Her answer made Davina feel more at ease. Kaleb sat next to the witch and across from the vampire. Kaleb and Davina made some small talk while Giuliana sipped her coffee. She quickly checked her phone to see that no one had tried to reach her yet, so she cut her losses and decided to enjoy her laid back afternoon.

* * *

Klaus seated himself at one of the tables in the Lycée in a meeting room. Audrey sat next to him while Cassie made tea for them. The vines above them weaved along the ceiling like snakes and some had beautifully colored flowers resting on them. Candles of all shapes and sizes were placed around the room, the soft glow bringing a bit of peace to those inside. The wolves that were outside had stayed there, but Klaus knew that they hadn't got far. Like he had brought Audrey, Cassie had her own backup plan should things get nasty. He really didn't want to murder a sixteen year old, but if it came down to that, he'd gladly do it. Cassie busied herself with placing teacups on saucers and pouring the tea. She came back with Klaus', set it down, then went back to get hers and Audrey's.

"I must offer my condolences on the tragic loss of your child." She spoke as she came back with the other two saucers.

"Wasn't it your coven who threatened her life?" His icy gaze stayed trained on her as she placed the cups down. Audrey eyed the tea suspiciously, not sure if this little girl planned on poisoning her, but she did hope that she was smarter than that.

"Is that tea your idea of a peace offering?" Klaus added and leaned back in his chair.

Cassie took a long sip of her tea, a smile coming to her lips at the earthy flavor. "Chamomile has lots of healing properties. Did you know that it is also a flowering plant?"

"I did. The plants grew wild near my boyhood home." He said and placed his hands on the table. "But, neither the tea, nor your botanical musings explain the reason why you've taken it upon yourself to forge new moonlight rings."

"I assumed that was obvious. An alliance between the wolves and the witches would restore balance to our home." She told him.

"You've got your goals set pretty high." Audrey gave her a pointed glare.

"Long ago, the witches and the wolves were at peace. Then came the vampires-a plague made flesh, a curse on this earth." Cassie was looking at Klaus now, a murderous expression on her face. "You have no humanity and so you punish those who do. Witches have a coven, werewolves have a pack, and so we are a constant reminder of everything that you have forsaken. Creatures such as you will always hate the living, and so we will always have to defend ourselves. The rings level the playing field. If we are united, nothing can stand against us."

Klaus marveled at the amount of anger stored within this young girl, but he was even more enamored at how well she kept it at bay. "It's an ambitious strategy. But, allow me to offer a few words of advice, if I may be so bold?" Cassie's silence gave Klaus the go ahead and so he leaned forward, getting into her face. "New Orleans is a vicious place and your enemies are everywhere. Behind your back, before your eyes. You will need to remain vigilant against those who would seek to destroy you, some of whom you may never see coming."

Once again, Cassie held the same calmness she possessed since she greeted Klaus and Audrey outside the Lycée. She gracefully lifted the cup to her lips, took a sip, and set it down in the saucer. "I've already begun to take precautions. In fact, I'm taking them as we speak."

* * *

"My family? Oh, no. They're all crazy as loons." Kaleb chuckled. "How about your family?"

"Not much to say. Only child. My dad was distant, which is a lot better than my mom." Davina replied.

"Mommy issues, eh? Bet she's a control freak, right?" He wondered and the witch nodded her head. "Yeah, same as mine. She's the reason I stopped practicing magic for so long."

Both Davina and Giuliana looked up from their drinks, suddenly intrigued by what Kaleb had told them. So, he's a witch, Giuliana gathered. Ever so subtly, she switched the hand that was holding her mug with the other and tucked her hand with the daylight ring on it in her lap. If Kaleb was a witch, that meant he was no amateur when it came to supernatural beings. She hoped that he didn't see her ring, but she had to account for some small percentage that he already knew what she was. Still, she meant Kaleb no harm, so the rest of the evening should go as smoothly as it was before.

"You're a witch?" Davina hushed excitedly.

"Don't look so surprised, love. I didn't just ask you out because you're gorgeous." The warlock's compliment made Davina blush. "No, we're, uh... we're kindred souls."

"What do you mean?" She asked him.

"I know your story, Davina. I mean, you're practically famous. You're the Harvest girl who told them all to shove it." He smirked. "I'm a lot like you. Don't really believe in rules and authority. Your courage...it should be celebrated."

Davina's blush crept up into her cheeks and she smiled like a kid on Christmas morning. That smile faded, however when her phone rang from beside her. She checked the caller ID and wrinkled her nose seeing it was Marcel. As much as she hated to stop her date with Kaleb, she knew that Marcel wouldn't be happy if she ignored her call.

"I'm so sorry, he'll just keep calling until I answer. I'll make it quick." She pushed her chair out from the table and darted out of the bar, leaving Giuliana and Kaleb to themselves. The two looked at one another from over the rims of their glasses and Kaleb let out a long sigh.

"So, Kaleb. How long have you been in New Orleans for?"

Kaleb gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Not too long. Still getting used to it. You?"

"About a year." She replied. "I came with a friend of mine and I've come to really like it here."

"I'm sure I will too." He said. Giuliana grasped her glass with her right hand and he smirked seeing her ring now in plain sight. It wasn't until after she put the glass down did he reach out and take her wrist in his hand.

"That's a lovely ring you have." His sudden compliment and touch made Giuliana shift in her seat. She didn't want to be rude and yank her hand away, but at the same time she wanted to yank Kaleb's tongue out of his mouth.

"Thank you."

"I know this stone very well." He continued, still holding onto her hand. "It can be spelled to help vampires walk in the sunlight."

Giuliana swallowed thickly, her emerald orbs jumping all around the bar. It had become crowded since they first sat down, so it would be hard to act without being unnoticed. She could always compel him; he didn't look like he had any vervain on him, but there was always that small percentage that he drank it every day. The vampire cleared her throat and wiggled her hand from his hold, shielding it close to her chest.

"Well, well." Kaleb pursed his lips. "Your friend, Davina, really breaks the rules. Hanging out with vampires? I never thought I'd see the day."

The vampire was quick to jump back to being calm again, not wanting to give Kaleb any indication that she had been uncomfortable. "Have a bad run-in with vampires, Kaleb?"

"I just know that they can be a nasty breed," he said. "My mother, the loon, thinks the whole world would be better off without them."

"Hmm, I know someone who has that same attitude." Giuliana pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek. "Funny enough, they are also crazy. They want to completely wipe out every vampire on the planet."

"That kind of crazy runs deep, I suppose." Kaleb wanted to say something more, but a stranger had come up to the table. It was a burly gentleman with a permanent frown painted on his face.

"You two. Get up." He ordered.

"What for?" Giuliana asked him.

"Private party." His gruff reply rumbled in his chest. "Find someplace else to party."

"Fine." The vampire stood and slung her purse over her shoulder just as Davina came back inside. She then noticed that the entire bar had emptied out except for a group of young men who eyed Davina when she walked in.

"Guys? What's happening?" Davina asked worriedly.

"Some fellow just announced they were closing for a private party." Kaleb told her.

"We should leave now." The witch said.

"I agree. I don't like this." Giuliana turned on her heel to exit the bar, but she bumped chests with a burly man. His scent wafted into her nostrils and she knew he was a wolf.

"Woah, easy there, doll-body." He grinned widely at her. "Stay a while and party with us."

"We'd rather not." She narrowed her gaze at him. When he stepped up to her, he suddenly fell back. He clutched his head and whimpered in pain. Davina had used a spell to intimidate him.

"Get out of our way. Now." Davina growled. The trio was then surrounded by the other werewolves who had monopolized the bar. They growled at the small cluster and Kaleb swallowed thickly.

"Can you do that with the rest of them, or...?"

"Not all at once." She replied meekly.

"Great." Giuliana deadpanned just before a wolf charged at her. She swung her fist at him, blowing out his jawline with one punch and the bar erupted. Kaleb tried to push a wolf away from Davina, but that only resulted in him being thrown backwards. He crashed behind the bar, breaking a bunch of bottles in his wake.

Giuliana managed to get a few wolves down, but a bigger one descended on her. His fangs crunched dangerously close to her and she let her own fangs free, a threatening hiss passing from them. He dove for her, but she was slightly quicker. She ducked his advance and elbowed him in the side, grinning when his ribs cracked. The wolf howled and his eyes turned amber before he pounced on her, knocking her down to the floor. Her hands held his forearms, keeping his sharp claws from digging into her skin and she turned her head away from jaw which was snapping awfully close to her neck.

"Jwen mwen vennez ça maintenant." Davina chanted and twisted the bracelet around her wrist. She hated to do this, but her friends were in trouble. In seconds, another wolf took hold of her from behind and fisted her hair, exposing one side of her neck. He went to bite her, but was thrown off by the only person who could save her in this moment. The newcomer growled and picked up the wolf on top of Giuliana by his scruff and smashed his skull into the wall. The vampire quickly bolted behind the bar to cover herself from more wolf threats, but she craned her head up, anxious to see who had come to her rescue. Davina was much too tiny to lift up a wolf and Kaleb was still cowering behind the bar. When her savior turned around, she was suddenly at a loss for words at who Davina had summoned.

"You filthy _dogs_." Mikael hissed at the wolves.

"Oh crap..." Giuliana ducked her head back behind the bar as Mikael began fighting the werewolves. Mikael was back?! What the hell was happening in New Orleans?! Giuliana had hoped that since Genevieve and her band of misfits were dead that things would go back to normal, but she was mistaken. She crawled to the edge of the bar and took up an empty beer bottle. She smashed it against the corner and handed it to Kaleb who looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"You know how to use this?" She asked him as he took it up in his hand.

"Uh...no."

"Well, you better learn." She said and armed herself with a jagged bottle as well. Kaleb looked as if Giuliana asked him to kill a man and he held to bottle wordlessly. Peeking over the bar, she saw the corpses of the wolves at Mikael's feet. He'd disposed of them like they were nothing, all killed by removal of their hearts or having their necks snapped.

She hid herself behind the bar again, but was suddenly aware of the overwhelming scent of blood that filled the bar. Even if it was wolf blood, it made Giuliana's mouth water. A wet, warm sensation touched her hand and she drew it back to see that it was doused in blood. The crimson liquid stained her fingertips and was smeared deliciously on the palm of her hand. She could feel her hunger growing, eating away at her sanity as it pushed her to feed. Her fangs poked at her bottom lip and the veins beneath her eyes became noticeable. Kaleb watched on, now completely certain that she was a creature of the night.

"Giuliana!" He called her name sharply and it seemed to shake her from her haze. She peered back at him, her eyes tinged with red, but they slowly subsided to the fresh green they'd been before. She wiped her hand on the leg of her pants, as to not get distracted again and she gripped the bottle tightly.

Davina struggled with the only werewolf left standing in the bar and Mikael planned to add him to the list of deceased. The two scuffled until the wolf pushed Davina to the floor, her bracelet coming off her wrist in the chaos. The witch was woozy from hitting her head and hadn't realized about her missing bracelet which she had used to keep Mikael a prisoner in the attic of St. Ann's chapel. Once the bracelet was off her wrist, Mikael noticed a change in the air, like the invisible shackles on his wrists had been cut loose and he was free.

"Well, now. What an interesting turn of events." Mikael stalked to the wolf, ripped his heart out in one motion and picked up Davina off the floor by the front of her shirt.

"I'm going to enjoy this, girl." He shook her, reveling in the fear that gripped her and bent down to take a bite out of her neck.

"Don't you touch her!" Giuliana flew in and shoved Davina out of Mikael's hold. She tumbled to the ground and out of the way while Giuliana squared off with the Original. The younger vampire opened her mouth, exposing her fangs and hissed at Mikael.

"Well, well. A progeny of one of my sons, I imagine." He came towards her and she slashed at him with the beer bottle. It cut along his cheek and neck, but that would hardly stop him. She moved to hit him again, but he blocked the bottle and took hold of her wrist. He whipped her around so her back was pressed against his chest, locking her arm behind her so hard that the bones snapped like a toothpick. Giuliana cried out loudly and clenched her teeth, her entire arm in absolute agony and it didn't help that Mikael continued to bend it. She could feel his fangs at the base of her neck and he yanked at her arm again just to make her scream.

"You are weak." Mikael tossed her away from him and she crashed into some chairs by the bar. The wood slashed her skin, sharp splinters clawed her like the wolves that had bothered her before. She was slow to get to her feet, but the mere effort made Mikael chuckle.

"You were once a hunter and now you have become the hunted." He grasped a beer bottle from off a table and launched it at her. She sped to hide behind a portion of wall, the bits of broken glass barely missing her. Once she was under cover, she yanked out a plank of wood that was stuck in her leg. The point was a bit dulled, but she kept it on her person for good measure. Perhaps it would slow Mikael down, a delusional thought, but a thought nonetheless. She pressed her back into the wall and closed her eyes tightly, fear gripping every nerve in her body. She tried to calm herself down, but she was shaking with terror.

"Come out, little vampire." He taunted her, clearly amused that a baby vampire had come to challenge him. In a flash, she zoomed from her hiding place, jumped on Mikael's back, and bit down on his neck hard. She clawed onto his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist to get a good hold on him as she drank.

Mikael then reached back, fisting his hand in her long locks, and hurled her off him. She hit the floor with a loud thud and quickly maneuvered herself on her back. He reached for her, but she lifted her foot and kicked him in the face, smirking hearing his nose break with a crack. Mikael took a hold of her foot, twisted the ankle till it broke and propelled her through the air. She hit the wall she had taken cover behind, her body putting a nice dent in it and she crashed to the floor.

This time, she didn't get up. Her entire body was riddled with pain, her every nerve and bone had been bruised, broken, or beaten. It hurt to move, it hurt to breathe, it hurt to blink. Giuliana tried to get herself off the ground, but she accepted that this fight was over and she was the loser. She had just enough strength to focus her gaze as the Original stood over her. Mikael was slightly impressed by her will to fight, but in the end, he knew she wouldn't stand a chance against him. He took the white oak stake from the waistband of his pants and bent down to her level, crouching before her like a tiger ready to devour his prey. He pressed the tip of the stake against her throat, enjoying her gasps of pain that fell from her throat.

"Any last words?" He asked her with a crooked smile.

Giuliana spat in his face, hitting his right eye and she snatched her stake from inside her jacket and thrust it upwards. Granted, it didn't hit his heart, but Mikael gave a loud howl. He quickly recovered and removed the stake from him before stabbing it into Giuliana's chest. Her mouth hung open, pained whimpers falling from her lips.

Suddenly, Mikael was tackled away from the young vampire by Elijah. The Original bent down beside her and pulled the stake out of her chest, earning a low groan from her. She prodded the healing wound and Elijah dropped the stake to the ground. Worry creased his features, but when the young vampire gazed up at him, his fears were calmed.

"He...missed." Giuliana rasped with a wry grin, but it was quickly dissolved seeing Mikael creep up behind Elijah.

"Look out!" She shouted and Elijah ducked out of the way. Giuliana got to her feet, using a chair to help her and she sped to where Davina was unconscious on the floor. Elijah finally had a good look of the attacker and was frozen in shock. His mouth fell open, gaping at the man who was standing opposite him.

"Father?"

"Hello, son. I'd hoped to see your brother first, but we have some unfinished business as well." Mikael seethed. Elijah was the first to attack and the two began to fight. Mikael gripped the stake tightly in his hand and was able to push Elijah against the wall, aiming the wood at his heart. While Elijah was strong, he knew that he could not overpower his father.

Giuliana helped Davina to sit upright and she lightly pressed against the open wound at her temple. The witch was now aware of her surroundings, but panic gripped her when she realized that her bracelet was gone. Suddenly, Marcel appeared beside them and hoisted Davina to her feet.

"We're getting out of here." He told her.

"No! Marcel, I need my bracelet." She told him frantically. "I can use it to control him."

Both sets of eyes caught sight of the bracelet beside a dead body and Giuliana rushed to grab it while Elijah struggled with Mikael. Just as the cool metal touched her fingertips, she heard Elijah give a shout as Mikael impaled the very tip of the stake in his chest. Giuliana tossed the bracelet to Davina which caught Mikael's attention and he sped for her, but it was too late.

"STOP!" Davina ordered with her hand raised and Mikael obeyed her command. The bracelet hung on her wrist, taunting the Original like an animal in a cage. He gritted his teeth, wanting to challenge her, but he knew there was no winning this fight.

"Go back. Now!" With a reluctant sigh, Mikael disappeared from the bar. Giuliana then moved to Elijah who had healed, but he was more concerned about Davina's newly revealed secret. Her bracelet meant that she could control Mikael's every move and because he had the stake, it made Davina the most powerful person in the room. Marcel tried to say something to the young witch, but she shied away from him and walked out of the bar.

The sound of shuffling from behind the bar made the vampires stiffen, but they were quick to let their guards down seeing that it was Kaleb who had come out from behind the bar. He looked shaken and very spooked by what he'd seen, but the other three vampires had no idea how frightened he was to see his own father in the flesh. The only one that shared his fear was Elijah who stepped up to Kaleb.

"Something to say?" Elijah asked him.

Kaleb shook his head and blinked a few times. "Not me, mate. Not a bloody thing."

* * *

Audrey watched as Klaus took a long sip of his tea while her own cup remained untouched. She just didn't feel right being in the witch's presence. Something about Cassie did not sit well with her and it clearly showed because Cassie was none too pleased that Audrey hadn't touched her tea. The Blood Witch sat back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other, pursing her lips together tightly.

Klaus placed his cup down on top of his saucer. "Chamomile. It's the same tea my mother made. How I loathed it."

"Would you have preferred mint?" Cassie was mildly amused at his insult.

"You know, she was insane, my mother." He told her. Cassie raised her eyebrows, clearly a bit skeptical about his sudden confession about his mother.

"I haven't met the woman, but I've heard the stories." Audrey added. "She's off her rocker."

"Is she now?" The young witch wondered.

"She believed we were abominations. "A curse on this earth, stretched out over generations," is how she put it. But she was the true monster. She changed her children, stole our innocence, made us vampires, condemned us to an eternity of blood lust, and then acted as if we were to blame." Klaus hissed lowly.

"She sounds awful. Are you building to a question, Niklaus?"

The hybrid narrowed his gaze at her, pointing like sharpened daggers. "You use my full name, as though we are familiars. I find it insulting." Cassie sat back in her chair, keeping her tongue pressed tightly behind her teeth. "Before she died, a witch revealed that your coven was under my mother's influence. Does she speak to you now?"

"She doesn't have to. I know exactly what she would say." Cassie told him calmly, but her expression quickly shifted to one of annoyance. "She would tell you to go to your room for being so rude."

Klaus snapped.

He slammed his hands on the small table, making it shake and tea spilled over the sides of the cups. Audrey jumped back, her eyes wide at Klaus' sudden actions and she moved to brush her hand against his back to calm him, but he was beyond soothing. She watched carefully as Klaus stared into the eyes of the young witch and she could feel a sudden change in his aura. It hit her hard in the stomach, as if she was experiencing his emotional shift. She couldn't pinpoint his exact emotion since there was so many all at once, but she was curious as to why she could register panic and realization in the air around him.

The same group of wolves from earlier was now surrounding them. They came in as soon as Klaus had his tantrum and they glared warningly at the pair who was threatening Cassie. Audrey stood, keeping herself close to Klaus in case things got ugly. Her eyes and the tips of her fingers glowed dark red, challenging the wolves to step forward and a few wanted to, but Cassie held up her hand.

"It's okay." She told them. "Niklaus was just leaving."

"I will happily kill them all!" Klaus roared, but Cassie remained unmoved by his rage.

"Then, you will have murdered members of the very pack you still hope to someday lead. Besides, there's no need for bloodshed. We can always resume this discussion another day." She said.

"Not likely." Audrey spoke up.

"Oh, it will be sooner than you think, Audrey. I certainly intend on it." Cassie's gaze was locked on Audrey's hands, somewhat cautious as to what she could do with her powers when provoked. Her eyes flicked up to Klaus and she gave him a soft smile.

"Goodnight, Niklaus. We will speak again soon."

* * *

When Elijah and Giuliana returned to the compound, they found Klaus nearly drowning in a barrel of wine down in the cellar. Audrey was there too, selecting a bottle of wine for herself and Elijah had only guess that their meeting with the witch hadn't gone well. She yanked the cork from the bottle with her teeth, spat it out, and closed her lips around the rim of the bottle. After a few swigs, she passed it to Klaus who broke off the bottle's neck and drank it down.

"Wow..." Giuliana trailed off. "Bad night?"

"You don't even know." Audrey slurred. "I thought that tonight would have been an easy fix. Kill the witch, destroy the rings; everyone's happy."

"I'm afraid I don't follow." Elijah's eyebrows creased.

"It is worse than we thought." Klaus finally spoke. "I met the witch, Cassie. I studied her. Her presence, the way she carried herself, the fervor with which she voiced her hatred of our kind. I looked into that girl's eyes, and, I swear to you, Elijah, she's not just guided by our mother. She _is_ our mother."

Elijah felt the air leave his lungs for the second time that evening. His mother? His mother?! It seemed impossible, but after seeing his father tonight, nothing seemed impossible anymore. Giuliana stiffened too, her worried gaze passing between the two panicked brothers. Even Audrey looked uneasy after having a run-in with Esther.

"What is happening?" The question wasn't meant for anyone and it hung in the air.

"I'm going to kill her! I will boil her bones and feed them to the dogs, if that's what it takes." His brother seethed.

"Niklaus—" Elijah cleared his throat.

"What?!" Klaus snapped. "What could possibly be more important than the return of our mother?"

Elijah sighed heavily as if trying to prepare himself for the next words that were tingling on his tongue. "Our father."

Klaus and Audrey were suddenly frozen in time, a look of absolute fear etched on their faces. The witch slumped in her chair, her hand gripping onto the edge of the chair. Klaus sat in complete silence, mulling over the horror of both his mother and father being very much alive. Elijah and Giuliana drew closer to the stunned pair, hoping to offer them comfort if they needed it.

"I saw him standing there in the flesh as you do now. He was enslaved with some spell cast by Davina." Elijah continued.

"Davina Claire? How did she manage to harvest enough power to control Mikael?" Audrey found her voice again.

"That's not important." Giuliana spoke up. "Mikael...he has the stake."

"Oh God..." The witch palmed her face in her hands. "That means Davina has the upper hand."

Klaus remained silent, but he listened to every words that passed between his brother and the two women in the room with him. He pressed his feet into the floor and pushed himself up from his seat. Three sets of eyes were focused on him, waiting with bated breath to hear what was going through his head. With both mother and father back from the dead, this could mean putting his daughter in danger and he would sooner die than let that happen.

"Well, then there's only one question we need to ask, isn't there?" He peered at his brother who was just as anxious as he was after learning that their mother had blew into town. Both were concerned about baby Hope and they swore from the moment Hayley had given birth to protect her, no matter the threat.

"Which of our parents do we kill first?"

* * *

 **Mommy Dearest and Papa Original are already causing trouble in New Orleans. What plans could they have up their sleeves? Please review!**

* * *

 **grapejuice101:** Thanks so much for reviewing!

 **Seraphis88** **:** I was going through Giulijah and Klaudrey withdrawals too! Ps, I love those ship names :) Thank you so much for your kind words! It's readers like you who make it such a pleasure to write!

 **heytay1:** Thank you for reviewing! I hope this chapter had the desired amount of Elijah/Giuliana ;) I have some interesting plans for them in the future of this story.

 **awanderingreader:** Hello there! You certainly don't come off as bitchy or complaining. You're simply stating your opinion and I want to thank you for being honest with me. When it comes to this story, I want to make it more about both original characters fitting into the Mikaelson family dynamic. There will definitely be more moments with Elijah and Giuliana in the chapters to come. I enjoy writing the two of them together, but at times it frustrates me because I want them to get much closer, but I think the slow burn of their relationship really keeps readers engaged. Now that Giuliana is a vampire, she will have to adjust to it and there will be moments where Elijah will be able to help her. I feel as if Audrey has taken more of a front seat in the story because her and Klaus had an ongoing relationship and it has picked up where it left off, making it a bit easier for her to fit in. I want to thank you so much for your continued support, for your suggestions, and for reviewing :)

 **NicoleR85:** Thank you so much for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed this update!

 **CarlyLynn:** Thanks so much for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the start of this story and I hope you enjoyed this update :)

 **Guest:** Thank you for reviewing! Hope you liked this update!

 **Guest:** Thanks! Glad you are enjoying this story so far :)

 **Guest:** Thanks so much! Enjoy the update!

 **Hannah:** Thank you for reviewing, Hannah!

 **Guest:** Thanks for reading and reviewing :)

 **Guest:** Hmm, Elijah and Giuliana are not together…yet. They still have a ways to go and there will be a lot of things that will stand in their way. Be patient and enjoy the ride :)


	3. Every Mother's Son

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 3: Every Mother's Son**

 **Beta:** PrincessOfSilence

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing of The Originals. I only own my characters and my story.

* * *

It was the aromatic scents of the decadent food spread in the courtyard of the Abattoir that awoke Giuliana from her deep slumber. At first, she thought that she was dreaming, but once she entered the courtyard, her eyes were greeted by an impressive buffet that was set on the table. Without a second thought, she took a small wheel of cheese and a knife before sitting herself down. Normally, she'd be content with a blood bag, but just because she was a vampire didn't mean that she craved human foods. She figured that perhaps Klaus had wanted to surprise Audrey with a brunch, but Giuliana let that thought diminish as she popped a piece of cheese in her mouth. It melted on her tongue and she gave a soft moan at the rich, delicious flavor. Whoever had laid out this meal had excellent taste. She continued to stuff her face until Hayley had come to join her. For a moment, neither of them said anything, but it was Hayley who had broken the silence first.

"Well, it's a little early to be stuffing your face, isn't it?" She quipped.

"Oh hush." Giuliana pursed her lips. "Nothing can sever the sacred bond between an Italian girl and her cheese."

Hayley chuckled lightly at that and gripped the neck of a wine bottle on the table. "Hmm, I'd hate to let this go to waste."

"Mmm," the vampire swallowed her bite of cheese. "Don't just stand there. Crack that baby open."

It had been months since the two were this comfortable with each other and it was a comforting sight to see as Klaus and Audrey had finally left their bedroom for the first time since the night before. Klaus was now feeling like his old self and Audrey was certainly feeling the effects of it. It wasn't just the sex she missed, although it was an added bonus, she longed to see him at the top of his game and now with his strength fully restored, she felt like she was with the Klaus she knew and fell in love with all those years ago. She looped her arm through his, earning a wolfish grin from him and that made her nibble her bottom lip teasingly. She gave a sudden jolt when she felt his hand grab her behind and squeeze it firmly, a deep blush flushing her cheeks.

"Will you two stop making bedroom eyes at each other?" Giuliana shouted from her spot at the table, a full glass of wine in her hand. "There is food to be had."

"So, which restaurant's missing a compelled chef?" Hayley asked him.

"It's certainly a card I've played in the past, but I had no hand in this." Klaus admitted truthfully and gestured to Audrey. "Is this your doing, love?"

Audrey shook her head and plucked a fig from a bowl that rested on a silver platter. "No, but that doesn't mean I won't thoroughly enjoy it."

Giuliana's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she saw Audrey pop a fig in her mouth. Oh, how she loved fresh figs. "Mind throwing one down here?"

The witch picked up another fig and gently tossed it to the vampire who caught it with a strong fist. Giuliana then realized that she crushed the sweet fruit when the juices spilled onto her hand. She frowned and peeled the sticky fruit off her palm.

"I'll have to work on that..." She mumbled.

"Perhaps Elijah wanted to dote on us." Audrey guessed.

"This wasn't my doing." Elijah spoke as he walked up to the table, a look of confusion gracing his features.

"Then, where did this all come from?" Hayley wondered.

Suddenly, a silver lid on a platter began to rattle, startling the group so much that they all backed away from the table. Concerned glances flicked between each being in the courtyard and this filled Klaus and Elijah with uneasiness. Giuliana clenched her fists and bared her fangs, as did Hayley, while Audrey's eyes grew dark red. Klaus then stepped forward and removed the lid, releasing two starlings from the platter. Everyone ducked out of their way and the birds flew toward the ceiling and out the window. It looked ridiculous for all of them to be shaken by a pair of birds, but it was the neatly handwritten note under the lid which made Klaus nervous. He reached for the paper and read it silently.

"What the hell was that?" Giuliana asked, still frightened from their feathered guests.

Klaus pursed his lips and flashed everyone the invitation, allowing them all to see who had written the note that read, _"Dinner, your home, 8pm."_ Audrey took up the invite and passed it to Elijah who had been stunned into silence.

"An invitation from our mother."

* * *

"It is times like this I'm really glad I never knew my mother," Hayley muttered.

"We have enough enemies here," Klaus growled. "And now, the war for our home is to be fought against my own family."

The entire group of them had retreated to Klaus' bedroom to decide on what to do as far as Esther was concerned. Mikael would be another problem for another day, but as of now, Esther would be showing up for dinner and needless to say, everyone was on edge. Klaus was grasping the invitation so tightly in his hands that it had become crumpled and the edges were ripped. No one knew what Esther's true intentions were, but they were all determined to find out.

"Your wretched mother and her disciples tried to put a carving knife through our baby's heart. I will happily add to the body count." The female hybrid grinned evilly and Klaus smirked approvingly at her.

"You will do no such thing." Elijah scolded her and Klaus' enabling behavior. "Esther's a master in the art of possession. We know whose body she currently inhabits. We must decipher her intentions before she finds a new host."

"Well, her last invitation an assassination attempt on all her children. I think we can assume her intentions are decidedly foul," his brother said.

"Well, she thinks that Hope is dead, right?" Giuliana questioned. "Maybe she's becoming suspicious?"

"Could be." Audrey murmured. "Her coven wanted Hope dead, so if she finds new evidence that Hope is alive, it means she isn't safe."

"I've taken every measure to ensure Hope's safety." Klaus spoke, his fist closing around the invitation.

"No need to get into a snit, Klaus." Her pointed glare shot at him. "But we do have to take it into consideration that Esther is poking her nose where it doesn't belong."

"So, let's kill the witch," Giuliana added.

"Easier said than done," Audrey said. "Esther can jump into any body she wants, so even if we do kill her, she can always find another host. The good news is that I can find her next host once she enters it."

"And the bad news?" Elijah inclined.

"There's always bad news..." Giuliana trailed off.

Audrey swallowed thickly before replying. "Esther could use any of us as her next host. Or she could even go after someone we'd least expect, making it harder to find her."

"Great." The female vampire deadpanned.

"I can try to put a cloaking spell over all of us, but it will take some time." The witch offered. "I'll just need some blood and everyone can be on their way."

"Well, then. We have..." Elijah peered down to check his watch. "This afternoon to prepare for the worst."

"It wouldn't kill you to have a little faith, Elijah." Audrey snickered.

"My apologies, my mind is preoccupied with other things at the moment." He spoke eloquently. "Take mine and Giuliana's blood now since we won't be back until dinner."

Green orbs suddenly snapped up to meet Elijah's dark ones. "We...won't?"

"We have some errands to take care of." He said as he adjusted the cuff of his sleeve.

"We...do?" Her voice was filled with uncertainty, but Elijah's firm look made her rise from her spot at the edge of Klaus' bed and follow him towards the door. "That's right! We do. We'll...see you guys later."

"Leave a vial each in the kitchen." Audrey called after them, so they wouldn't forget to leave their blood for the spell.

"That was odd...especially for Elijah." Hayley gathered. "What errands would he have to do?"

Audrey shrugged her shoulders. "Hopefully ones to help us with this dinner from hell."

* * *

Elijah had taken Giuliana to Algiers, a city across the river from the French Quarter. This errand run had two purposes; the first and most pressing was to find a witch that would help him with Esther's nagging ability to jump bodies, while the second was to help Giuliana hone her skills as a vampire as he had promised. Vampirism was much more than preying on the weak and ingesting blood, Elijah considered it to be an art to be understood and Giuliana was very willing to learn. He noticed she had become jumpy as they walked the less crowded streets and that her fingers were anxiously twitching by her side.

"Look, maybe this isn't such a good idea..." She trailed off while biting her lip. He then took one hand in his, holding it firmly and stopping their pace.

"You're shaking," he observed. "I can hear your heartbeat."

"I'm sorry. I can't help it." She removed her hand from his. "I do much better with crowds."

"Crowds?" He wondered.

Giuliana nodded uneasily and bounced on the balls of her feet. "If I'm in a crowd, I hear the blood rushing altogether. I can't just focus on one singular source. It's like my body gets swept up in it all and I find it easier than being in a place that is so quiet."

Elijah had never dealt with a vampire like this, but he was determined to help her get over this fear. Typically when vampires are young, they get overwhelmed by being in crowded places because of the fact that they hear everyone's heart beating at once. Their senses become rammed, pounded like how waves crash upon the rocks in the ocean and it is never a favorable outcome. Many become phobic of leaving their homes and interacting with people, but Giuliana's problem was exactly opposite. She had an issue with being in a less congested area. Here, she could easily become triggered by one singular heart beating because that is all her body can focus on.

Elijah took up her hand and placed it on his chest, making her squirm at the vibrations of his heart thumping strongly. She could feel a cold sweat break out along her back and she knew her fangs were poking against her bottom lip. She would have been perfectly happy melting into a puddle of nothing on the pavement, just anything to remove herself from the situation at hand.

"Elijah...please." She begged and tried to tug her hand away, but he refused to let her go.

"You won't hurt me." He assured her.

"How do you know?" Her eyes became clouded with red and spidery veins appeared from under her water line.

"Because I trust you." His voice was almost muted by the sound of his veins carrying the sweet blood she wanted so badly to taste. He was watching her unravel before him, but he remained set in his ways, trusting that she could pull through this.

"Close your eyes." He commanded and her green and red clouded orbs immediately fell closed. The hand resting against his chest was now grabbing at the material of his suit jacket, creasing the fabric under her iron grip.

"Elijah..." She whimpered.

"I'm here." He promised, moving closer to her. She could feel his warmth, but it did nothing to calm her nerves. "Find something else to focus on. A sound. A smell. Anything."

Giuliana's squinted her eyes closed even tighter, she wasn't sure that she could do this. She was so close to losing control and she feared for the people around her who would be privy to her wrath. Elijah's heartbeat was ringing so loudly that she wanted to vomit from the vibrations it sent through her body. She steeled herself, searching for anything that would take her focus off Elijah. Just when she thought she would explode, the very thing she'd been praying for wafted into her ear canal.

"A...a car door shutting." She stammered and craned her head toward the sound. Another car door closed and the soft purring of the car's engine could be heard from down the street. "The car was just turned on. I can hear the engine."

"Good." Elijah praised, he could hear it too. "What else?"

"The sound of the gravel under the wheel as the car pulls away." She added. For a few moments, she paused before speaking again, this time, a soft smile grazing her lips. "I can hear the radio playing from the open window."

Elijah smiled too, she had finally calmed down all on her own. She willed herself to listen to the sounds around her and she did it with success. He gently squeezed her hand, waiting for her reply.

"It reminds me of the bayou," she said. The melodies twirling in her ear were distinctly country, but she was unsure of the title. "When we would dance around the fire under the stars."

Giuliana suddenly felt comforted by the sensations that normally would have been her undoing. She wanted to hear more of them, soak them in and listen to them for hours. She let the vibrations gently rock her until she was calm enough to open her eyes, revealing the beautiful green orbs Elijah often found himself staring into. She looked over her shoulder, scanning the street before letting a big smile grace her lips.

"I...I did it." She hushed, almost as if she didn't want to jinx herself.

"You did very well indeed, but you will need to keep practicing." His praise only made her smile grow wider. He let go of her hand and a small part of her wanted to frown, but she hid it well. "Next, you shall learn compulsion."

"Ooh, always wanted to do that." She bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet.

"Perfect. We're just in time." As if out of thin air, Marcel was behind Elijah with a young woman by his side. She had olive skin, a shade or two darker than Giuliana with dark brown waves that stopped at her shoulders and eyes that matched her hair. Giuliana noticed that she was somewhat fidgety, much like when she first turned and she also spotted the daylight ring on her finger. Ah, another vampire, Giuliana thought. The woman beside Marcel shifted her weight to the other hip and crossed her arms over her chest with an expression of a mixture of boredom and angst.

"Marcel." Elijah greeted him cordially and turned to face him.

"Sorry we're late, but Gia needed to feed before she came." He explained.

"Have I not made it clear to you that I want nothing to do with this," the Original waved his hand in Gia's direction. "Your new vampire community?"

"Look, Elijah. Gia needs to learn from an expert."

"As you can see, my dance card is full." He motioned and Giuliana waited patiently behind him. "In fact, we were going to look for a cooperative witch. One that is not on a leash."

Marcel grinned and put a hand behind Gia's back. "Well, you're in luck. Gia knows where you can find one."

Elijah took a few moments to gather his thoughts before replying. "I am not running a babysitting service, Marcel. Now, I have one pupil who is willing to learn and-"

"Aw, at least let Gia show you to our witch friend." Marcel interrupted him. Elijah clenched his teeth behind his lips, his jaw shifting beneath his skin. As much as he didn't want to include Gia, he needed a witch that would perform a spell for him. Wordlessly, he turned on his heel and started walking away from them. Giuliana was quick to follow, keeping with his pace, but she barely heard the back and forth banter between Gia and Marcel. She was grumbling that she didn't want to go, but Marcel was nudging her along. Giuliana felt Gia's presence grow closer and noticed that she had come up beside her, but still kept her distance. For a few moments, the trio walked in complete silence, wandering the streets aimlessly and in that time, Gia was now on Elijah's side. Just by looking at him, she could immediately tell that he wanted nothing to do with her, but Marcel had pleaded with her to try to get the Original to see that Marcel's plan of starting a vampire community would be worth standing behind. So far, she was failing miserably to get Elijah to back the idea.

"So, look, I know you're not terribly thrilled about having me tag along, but I'm a fast learner." She offered and kept up with Elijah's quickening pace. The Original neither answered nor regarded her, making Gia frown, but she remained persistent as they all crossed a street.

"You guys don't talk much, do you? That's okay; I'm not a big talker either. I'd much rather listen, but that would help if you guys liked to talk. Like, you can talk about anything, really. It doesn't matter to me. Just say...something." The young vampire hurried to catch up with the pair.

Elijah knew that he would regret taking Marcel up on his offer to coach Gia the second she opened her mouth. Marcel had turned her some time ago and wanted Elijah to teach her how to be a vampire. Marcel was hopeful that he could show Elijah that he was able to lead a group of new vampires, but he needed Elijah's support in order to make it happen. Giuliana and Gia hadn't spoken, only communicating with sideways glances as Gia led the way to Lenore's shop. Elijah hoped that Lenore could help with Esther's ability to jump into other people's bodies and that this family dinner would be a peaceful one.

"You wanna walk in silence? Cool." Gia sighed frustratedly. "But you're going the wrong way."

The Original stopped hard in his tracks; if Gia had been walking behind him, she would have crashed into him. He narrowed his eyes at her, his patience growing thin. "Marcel believes I can instruct you. First lesson: do your best not to waste my time."

Gia stuck her jaw out and her gaze passed between Elijah and Giuliana. As much as she'd rather be anywhere, but Algiers, she promised she'd help Marcel; the man who sired her and gave her a new life. She stepped around Elijah and beckoned for the pair to follow her, which they did and he was sincerely hoping that Gia would heed his warning about making use of his precious time.

After all, he had a dinner to attend.

* * *

Audrey struck a match against the match book and watched in fascination how the sparked flame danced on the very tip. Brilliant hot hues of reds, oranges and yellows fluttered before her icy orbs and she touched the fire to a tall, thin candle set in a candelabra that was on the dining room table. Servants bustled around her, bringing in utensils, cloth napkins, glasses and trays of food to get the room ready for Esther to arrive. Things were coming together, but Audrey still heard Klaus barking at some of the servants in the kitchen. She could feel his anxiousness ebbing through every nerve in his thousand year old body, gripping him harshly like a cold hand. Audrey was nervous too, especially concerning Esther being a flight risk and the fact that Klaus wanted her to attend dinner with his family.

At first she was certain he meant for her to be nearby in case Esther tried anything funny, but no. He wanted her sitting at the table at the place next to him. She didn't question it further, but she let it mull around her brain for the remainder of the afternoon and into the evening. She could already hear Elijah's disapproval and she was sure that Esther would have something to say about it, but the thought crossed her mind that Klaus would take care of it. He always did. Audrey had come downstairs, hoping to get Klaus alone, so she could ask him why he wanted her here tonight, but she felt her stomach churning in tight knots.

The witch cursed feeling the sharp burn of the flame against her skin and she had realized that she held the lit match for too long. She dropped the burnt match and examined her fingers. The tips were red from the burn and she guessed she blister at most, so she brushed it off and tossed the match in the garbage to strike another. She quickly lit the rest of the candles on the other candelabras and snuffed out the match just as Klaus entered the room with a servant trailing behind him. Audrey tried to look as if her mind was calm, but in reality, it was running on overdrive. The servant presented two bottles of wine to Klaus and he chose the red since it went better with the meal they would be having.

"Skip the salad course. Let's not make this dreadful evening any longer than it needs to be." Klaus told the servant who nodded and scuffled back into the kitchen. He adjusted one of the forks that was laid on the napkin, making it straight and he observed the other place settings before his gaze stopped on Audrey.

Suddenly, the place settings weren't as important to him as the sight of her in the black cocktail dress she'd picked out for dinner tonight. The dress came down to the knee and had thin straps that were set slightly off the shoulder, giving her a soft look; perfect for tonight's agenda. Small diamond studs sparkled in her ears, but her wrists and neck were bare, something that Klaus never liked, especially on a woman as beautiful as her. He slowly rounded the table, making his way to her and he picked up her hand. He laid a gentle kiss on the back of it and reveled when goose bumps erupted on her skin and tickled his lips.

"You look beautiful." His compliment did little to ease her nerves, but she'd be lying if she said it didn't make her heart skip a beat.

"Thank you." She bowed her head and took notice of his crisp suit, no doubt something Elijah suggested for the evening. "You clean up nicely too."

A playful smirk danced across his face. "You flatter me."

"It's the truth." She countered as she played with the matchbook in her hands. Another servant entered the room, tearing Klaus' attention away from her and she placed both hands on the table, her orbs merging with the flames on the candles. The servant left as quickly as he appeared and Audrey knew that she had to talk to Klaus now.

"I don't have to be here tonight," Audrey spoke softly, her wavering voice making the candle's flames flicker. "This is between your family. I have no business sitting in on a family dinner."

Klaus stepped toward her, gently clasping her hands and placing the matchbook down on the table. He turned her, so they're eyes could meet and one hand reached up to cup her cheek. "You are more family than my mother ever was to my siblings and I. You have made sacrifices for my family and you have stood by me through everything."

Audrey nuzzled her face into his hand, soaking up his warmth. She stared into his eyes, oh, how she missed them. "Think nothing of it."

"Hardly." His reply was gruff and he rubbed his thumb along her cheek, deep in thought before taking a slight step back from her. He sauntered to a cabinet that was against the wall, opened up a drawer, and took something out of it before coming back to her. Audrey eyed the dark blue box, curious as to what was nestled inside it.

"I was hoping to give you this after tonight, but I feel you should have it now." He held up the box and opened up the lid, revealing a white gold and diamond necklace. Audrey gawked at the work of art before her, unable to form words to describe its beauty. Large and small diamonds were connected together, weaving an intricate pattern that would draw anyone's attention. It was a big piece, certainly showy and meant for dressier occasions, but it would accent her simple black dress nicely.

"Niklaus..." She hushed, her icy gaze running over the necklace. He removed the necklace from its casing and beckoned for her to turn around which she did. Audrey scooped up her thick, black waves, allowing Klaus to clasp the necklace at the back of her neck. She let her hair down and faced him, the glistening jewels sparkled in the dim candlelight. Her fingertips reached up to touch the jewels, a cool sensation spiked her skin and she found herself speechless at the gift he'd given her.

"So, which queen or princess did you steal this from?" She jabbed lightly at him when her voice came back to her. It was an ongoing joke between the two of them after they had met in the twenties. Whenever Klaus gave her jewelry as a gift, he always had a story to go with each piece.

"The only queen that has worn this necklace is standing right in front of me," He replied. "A queen that rules beside her king."

Audrey touched his face, the stubble of his beard prickling her fingers. She peered up at him, but her gaze had become fixated on his lips which looked so inviting. She really felt like his queen and would vow to do everything in her power to keep it that way. She drew his face close to hers until their lips touched. The gentle brush of her fingertips against his cheeks were enough to make goosebumps appear on Klaus' skin. His hands wrapped around her waist, gripping her hips as he deepened the kiss further. Audrey whimpered softly into his mouth as one of her hands tunneled into his short hair. Her nails lightly scraped along his scalp, making him purr contently.

"Ah, I see we are ready for dinner." Elijah's voice made the two grimace before stepping back from one another. Audrey smoothed out her dress and then adjusted Klaus' tie.

"Your brother needs a girlfriend...or a hobby," Audrey spat and accidentally tightened Klaus' tie too much, making him flinch slightly.

"Errands run well, Elijah?" She asked his brother.

"Swimmingly," the Original replied.

"Are these outfits really necessary?" Klaus grumbled and loosened his tie.

"Appearance is a way of showing respect, Niklaus. Mother will be more likely to surrender her true intentions."

"Well, I doubt her guard will drop just 'cause I'm dressed like a bloody lawyer." He growled.

"I told you that you look fine." Audrey muttered to him under her breath.

"We need every advantage we can get, Niklaus." Elijah said to his brother.

"You always did excel in diplomacy. Just know, if she tries anything, I'll tear her new body to pieces." Klaus smirked.

"You two haven't changed a bit!" A new voice chuckled from the entrance of the dining room. Three heads turned to see a young dark skinned gentleman sauntering towards them. He had an arrogant air about him, a familiarity that struck the two Mikaleson brothers. The man pointed to Elijah once he was closer and sneered at his fine suit.

"Linens and silk to disguise your pathetic self-loathing." Elijah's eyes narrowed at the man's insult, but held his tongue. The gentleman then turned to Klaus, holding a finger on the cleft of his chin. "And you, despite the arrogant facade, you're still the same paranoid little boy, full of hate and fear."

It suddenly hit Klaus. He knew exactly who this man was, granted he was in a different body, but he'd recognize that attitude of his anywhere. Apparently, mother dearest wasn't the only one who had come back from the dead. Elijah was clueless as ever as to who this man was, but he did not like that he seemed so familiar with him. Audrey could sense the blood connection of the newcomer to the two brothers, so she knew they were family, but the tension between them was strained as if they had grown apart over the centuries.

"Forgive me, I don't believe I've had the pleasure," Elijah spoke up.

"Oh, you mean you don't recognize me?" The man seemed mildly offended, but he brushed it off like a speck of dust. He rounded the table, slowly making his way over to his brothers. "So much for the unbreakable bonds of family, huh? Always and forever indeed."

"It's been a long time, Finn," Klaus sneered his brother's name as if it was the foulest word to ever leave his lips. A realization hit Elijah like a freight train and his mind was slowly unraveling at the fact that yet another Mikaelson had taken a body as a host.

"Yes, it has." Finn agreed and then looked to Audrey who had remained silent during the entire exchange of greetings. "You must be Audrey; mother had much to say about you, however I am unsure as to why you are here for a family dinner. Unless Niklaus has ill intentions."

"You're standing here in one piece, aren't you?" Her question made Klaus smirk proudly and snake a hand to rest on her shoulder. Finn let out a chuckle, dispelling his initial shock that she had given such a daring reply and Klaus reveled in that.

Finn came closer to her until they were practically toe to toe, making Audrey somewhat anxious, but she held herself well. Klaus' hand on her shoulder tightened and he could feel Elijah's gaze on him.

"I can't help but wonder why a smart witch like you has found her way into the lion's den. Vampires are a dangerous breed," he said.

"Comical. Your father said something similar before he put me to death ninety years ago." She countered smartly and Finn chuckled at her.

"Quick wit and a sharp tongue; I see why my brother has taken such a liking to you." He grinned.

"It's part of my charm," Audrey replied and Finn's grin grew even wider. He opened his mouth to reply further, but was stopped by the presence of his mother entering the room.

"Now, Finn. Where are your manners?" She lightly scolded him and he backed away from Audrey. Esther's heels clicked against the dining room floor and Finn rushed to pull the chair at the head of the table out for her. She smiled warmly at him and addressed her two sons with open arms.

"My, how I've missed you both."

* * *

Hayley closed the door behind her and Lenore as they entered her shop in Algiers. Cassie and Vincent did quite a number on her after kidnapping her from her store and shackling her inside a mausoleum in the cemetery. The hybrid was able to get to her in time and convince Oliver to let her go. Oliver, of course, was hesitant that Cassie would find out that he was conspiring with Hayley, so she decided to make it convincing by beating him up, making it look like he'd been jumped. Because of Hayley's act of kindness, she agreed to perform the spell to mark Esther's new host body in case she decided to body jump. The hybrid had acquired a necklace spelled by Esther from Klaus and Elijah informed her that Gia and Giuliana had retrieved a python for the spell. She helped Lenore to get settled and removed the necklace from her pocket, placing it on the table.

The bell near the door chimed and the two women froze, thinking they had been caught by Cassie or one of her lackeys, but they both let out a sigh of relief seeing Giuliana step through the door. Wrapped around her shoulders was the python Lenore needed for the spell. The reptile hissed and the vampire craned her head away from his long tongue as she laid him down on the table.

"There, there." She pet the snake's scaly spine.

"Took you long enough. Where's Gia?" Hayley asked.

Giuliana scowled and rolled her eyes. "Well, she failed her compulsion lesson, so she tried to shoplift the damn snake. When the shop owner realized it, he went ballistic and Gia bolted. So, I had to clean up her mess and get Balthazar out of there."

Hayley's eyebrows creased. "Who's Balthazar?"

"The snake." The vampire replied simply and realized that Hayley was staring at her strangely and she shook her head. "Don't look at me like that! That was the name on his cage!"

"Are you ladies ready to start?" Lenore asked them and they nodded.

"So, will this take long?" Hayley asked.

"You want me to soul-brand the resurrected spirit of a thousand-year-old witch." The witch said. "It's best I take my time and do it right.

Lenore set up a small cauldron and tossed in some herbs. Soon, it began to bubble and smoke poured off the edges. She chanted over the cauldron before throwing a bundle of sage into the boiling abyss.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry; no one should ever have to lose a child." She frowned.

Hayley did too, her heart aching to hold her baby girl again. "No. No one should."

Giuliana placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. Even though Hope was very much alive, the mere illusion of pretending she wasn't was wearing thin on the Mikaelsons and others in her life.

"So, how does this work?" Giuliana wondered curiously. "You brand Esther...then what?"

"The next time she jumps into a body, she'll be marked with a distinctive symbol on the back of her hand." Lenore explained while hanging the necklace across the diameter of the cauldron with the starling pendent hanging off the side. "This way, you'll always know who she is."

"And Audrey did a spell to prevent Esther from jumping into any of us." Giuliana added.

"But, we still don't know why she's here. When Esther held you captive, did she give you any idea why she's doing all this?" Hayley asked Lenore.

The witch took up the python, putting it around her neck. "Love."

"How hard did they hit you?" Hayley's question was unanswered. Lenore then removed Balthazar from around her shoulders and held his head with one hand.

"What besides love can inspire such pain and cruelty? And Esther..." Lenore took a knife with her free hand and sliced down the length of the snake. Giuliana gulped, sorry to see Balthazar go since they'd been through a lot today. The witch reached her hand inside its body, disemboweling him and squeezing his blood into the cauldron.

"Her love is very, very strong."

* * *

Dinner was well underway and Esther and Finn shared idle chatter while Klaus, Elijah and Audrey were left to their own devices. Mother and son commented on how well the wine paired with dinner and the decorations on the walls as Klaus' patience continued to thin. With Esther at the head, Finn to her right and Elijah to his right, Klaus was wishing he was on his mother's left as opposed to Audrey, so that he'd have less of a distance to cross when he strangled his mother with his bare hands. Audrey pushed her food around on her plate and sent Elijah a shrug from across the table. Her phone vibrated from in her lap and she checked it to see that Giuliana had messaged her.

 _Lenore is doing the spell. Make sure you tell Elijah that Gia sucks as being a wing-woman. How's dinner?_

Audrey bit her bottom lip tightly, her fingers pressing the letters to form her reply and she hit 'Send.'

 _Dreadful._

"So, Audrey, how did you and Niklaus meet?"

The question from Esther caught her off guard and she nearly dropped the phone to the floor, but she managed to keep herself calm. It was an awkward enough question to answer consider Esther didn't give a rat's ass about her children, but Audrey felt as if she was in an interrogation rather than a dinner.

"Well, we, uh—"

"I don't see how my relationship bares any relevance as to why you invited yourself here tonight," Klaus growled rudely.

"I was simply asking a question." Esther feigned innocence and batted her eyelashes. "I am quite curious as to how my son met the woman he is so taken with."

"Mother," Elijah interjected. "What Niklaus is trying to say—"

"Why don't you say what you came here to say, so this wretched night can end?" He stepped on his brother's words.

"It pains me that you and Elijah look at me with such disdain." Esther frowned deeply. "I wish you could see that my every action has been to protect you."

"You actually believe that, don't you? I knew you were a liar, but now I see you're utterly delusional." Klaus' jab made her pout further.

"If you can forget the hatred that you cling to and remember all the times I've mended and healed you." She spoke and then turned her attention to her other son. "Elijah, do you recall the day Niklaus challenged your father to a duel? Did I leave your brother to die alone? What did I say, when you came to me and asked me to help him?"

Elijah was silent for a long moment, but he collected himself. "That you would rather die than to see any of your children suffer."

"When you were a young boy, I crafted a necklace and asked you to swear to me that you'd wear it always. The one with the starling, remember? I told you that it would always keep you safe, so long as you wore it." Esther's story unfolded and everyone was listening intently. Klaus remembered the necklace vividly. He remembered feeling the comfort of his mother's warm embrace when his father had been cold to him. As the years passed, Klaus was a young man when he challenged Mikael to a duel; one that he lost miserably. Mikael had pinned his son to the trunk of a tree with a sword pierced through his stomach. Klaus held tightly to the necklace and true to her word, Esther came to his side.

A sudden realization came over Klaus as he recalled his mother's stern reminder to keep the necklace on no matter what. He had listened to her because he was young and truly felt that it would keep him safe, but it was a ploy. The day he challenged Mikael, the starling necklace was cut from his neck and as Klaus watched it fall to the moss covered ground, anger and hatred surged throughout his entire body. He was so angry with Mikael, that he thought he would go mad. He attacked Mikael until he was knocked down and pinned to the tree. Once his mother tended to his wounds and fastened the necklace on him again, his raging emotions subsided to a dull burn. The necklace had been a ruse; meant to dispel his anger and deter him from awakening his inner werewolf.

"It wasn't spelled to protect me; it made me weak." Klaus growled.

Esther's mouth was opening and closing as if she were a fish on dry land. "I sought to protect you from yourself! If you had killed your father in that duel, or anyone else in the course of your life, you would have activated your curse!"

Klaus slammed both hands on the table and stood, making Audrey wince at the sound. " _You_ ruined me! _You_ left me to suffer at the hands of a father who valued only strength!"

"I kept you from becoming a beast for as long as I possibly could!" She defended, but Klaus was beyond convincing. He rounded the table, bypassing Audrey to stand over his mother's trembling form.

"You lied to me! To hide your own transgressions because of your own fear! My whole life, I sought the approval I was denied by the man I thought was my father! You turned me into the weakling he hated." He continued.

Elijah rose anxiously and so did Audrey. Her legs were shaking from the intensity of Klaus' raw emotions. Betrayal, hatred, anger. It was singing her flesh and she tried desperately to dispel it, but it was making her weak and heavy. She clutched the edge of the table, a tired sigh falling from her lips and Finn noticed it. He had known she was a witch since the moment he entered the compound. Her powers, although different from his own, were very strong; she wore them like a suit of armor over her snowy skin. Esther looked to Finn, sensing his uneasiness, but Klaus bashing his fist against the table made her watering eyes refocus.

"Look at me! You rant and you rave about the monster I have become, but you, Mother, you are the author of everything I am."

Esther was flustered now and her cheeks had turned bright red. She expected this kind of reaction from Klaus, but the expectation was far worse from the reality. She suddenly began gasping for air, raising alarm from Finn and she fainted at her seat. Elijah sped forward, catching the back of her neck to guide it gently, so her head wouldn't hit the table. All three brothers looked on in shock. Had the stress of the dinner caused Esther to die? Impossible, Klaus thought to himself. It was too easy.

"She's gone," Elijah murmured.

Audrey's body went slack, her eyes turning up towards the ceiling, a black sheen covering them. A vision of a python, bloodied hands and a smoking cauldron bombarded her. She saw flashes of Hayley and Giuliana, but another face was unfamiliar to her. It must have been Lenore. Audrey pushed her visions, asking them to show her more, but her answer was given to her in shadows. She could feel Esther's presence moving quickly until it settled on the woman hunched over the cauldron. The visions then disappeared in a puff of smoke behind her eyes and she was brought back into reality just in time to see Elijah throw a punch at Finn.

The warlock used his magic to push him away, over the table's surface and onto the floor. Klaus then sped forward, grabbing Finn sharply by the lapels of his suit jacket and shaking him roughly.

"Where is she?" He demanded.

Again, Finn's magic propelled Klaus backwards and he readied himself to another attack, but was stopped by Audrey who had flung the silverware at him with her powers. A fork had embedded itself in his hand, allowing Klaus to tackle him to the floor. Both brothers struggled for dominance and Audrey rushed to Elijah to learn he had been knocked out cold by Finn's attack. The table was suddenly flipped over and she tried to escape it, but she was trapped beneath it. It was now that she damned the Mikaelson's expensive taste in heavy mahogany tables as the wood bared down on her body. The loud clanging of silverware and silver platters hitting the floor rang in her ears and the last thing she saw was Finn blowing on his fingers before she succumbed to darkness.

* * *

Lenore's body fell over the cauldron and she braced her hands on the edges. Hayley and Giuliana exchanged worried glances and they drew closer to her. The witch opened her eyes and straightened up, looking wildly about her. Giuliana checked down at her phone, but there was no message from Audrey which made her anxious. Had the dinner gone that badly?

"Are you okay?" Hayley asked Lenore.

"Yes," Lenore nodded slowly. Her arms shook weakly and Hayley rounded the counter to help her sit down.

"I'm just getting my bearings." The witch told her calmly as if not to alarm them, but Giuliana yanked Hayley back.

"What—"

"Look!" Giuliana hushed. On the back of Lenore's right hand was a triskelion mark, much like the one she described would be on the hand of the person Esther used as her host. Esther had abandoned Cassie's body and was now inside of Lenore.

"The mark," Hayley gasped.

"It's you, isn't?" Giuliana's green orbs squinted. "Esther."

Lenore eyed the two girls with a knowing smirk. The kind witch that had helped them to soul brand was now inhabited by the very woman they had been trying to run from.

* * *

Klaus and Elijah had recovered from Finn's attack, but the same could not be said for Audrey. After the table had been removed off her, Klaus scooped her up in his arms and laid her on the surface. Her heart was still beating, but she had yet to awaken. He paced back and forth anxiously while Elijah questioned Cassie who had no idea where she was. Once a confident witch, Cassie was shrinking back in her chair, her eyes flicking between the two men and the unconscious woman on the table.

"Where am I?" She began to cry. "What's happening?"

"Where is Esther?" Elijah asked her again.

"I told you. I don't know," she blubbered.

"She's useless, Elijah," Klaus said. "Mother was just using her."

"But where is she now?"

Suddenly, Audrey's body shot up from the table with a start and Klaus was at her side in an instant. Cassie jumped in her seat as if she'd witnessed someone coming back from the dead and Elijah dismissed her, compelling her to leave and forget what she saw here. Klaus eased Audrey to the edge of the table, his hand gently stroking her face as she calmed down.

"Easy, love," he cooed.

"Esther...sh-she's in Lenore's body." She stammered. "I saw it."

"Lenore?" Klaus questioned.

"Marcel's witch," Elijah answered and pulled out his cellphone from his pocket.

* * *

Giuliana clutched her ringing phone tightly in her hands and looked down at the caller ID. Elijah was calling her and she was afraid to answer it. Her finger hovered over the green button, but she hesitated to answer. Esther was using a cloth to wipe her hands of the snake's blood and remained when she heard the phone. With a smile, she gestured to it and continued cleaning her hands.

"Go ahead. You can answer it."

The vampire didn't waste any time and held the phone to her ear. "Elijah?"

 _"Giuliana. Are you alright?"_

"Yes. We're at Lenore's shop." Esther outstretched her hand and the line went dead. Giuliana pressed the 'Home' button, but the screen was dark.

"That'll be enough."

"They're gonna come for us," Hayley warned, drawing closer to Giuliana's side.

"My darling, that's been the idea all along." Esther's smile grew. "It's nice to finally meet you, Hayley. Tell me, do my sons ever acknowledge the good you bring into their lives? After all, it was you who gave them hope. The promise of a child shows us all the possibilities of a future that could be. Children are meant to save us from the worst parts of who we are. A truth that makes my own circumstances all the more tragic, wouldn't you say?"

"I don't pity you, Esther." The hybrid rolled her eyes.

"It's a terrible thing, for a mother to fail her child." She frowned deeply and picked up the starling necklace. She hadn't seen it in so long, but she remembered every groove on the starling's wings. "But now, I offer you freedom. The gift of a new body. Freedom from being a hybrid. I have the ability to return to you all that you have lost, Hayley. To make it so that you could have a family of your children of your own. Wouldn't that be nice?" The very idea seemed very enticing to Hayley, but at what cost would Esther give her a new life.

"She's bluffing," Giuliana growled and pulled Hayley backwards.

"I would never, Giuliana." Esther spoke up and now focused her attention on the young vampire. "Your family were enemies to my children and now you share the same fate as them; forced to drink blood and have an insatiable hunger. I am so sorry, my dear."

"You're not sorry, Esther," she sneered.

"Of course I am. You were never given the choice to become a vampire. You were a witch with so much power and it was all taken away from you." Esther continued. "I too can offer you the same proposition as Hayley."

"Why?"

"Because Elijah loves you."

Giuliana was going to retort, but Esther's little confession made her fall silent. Hayley cast a glance at her and could see how red her cheeks were getting. She knew that Giuliana liked Elijah a lot, maybe even loved him, but Elijah had been hurt so many times that she feared he'd lost that capacity. Not that his ability to love was completely lost. He loved his family and his niece, but to make room for one special person took a lot of trust, a virtue that Elijah had given away many times over his long life. The front door of the shop rattled as Klaus and Elijah closed it behind them. They came into view and Klaus rushed for the two women, but Esther tossed a powder-like substance into the air which created a barrier, so Klaus could not get through.

"You hide behind your spells like a coward!" He roared at his mother.

"I did not come here to wage war!" She swore and picked up another handful of the powder. Elijah tried coming at her from the side, but he was stopped by the magic she threw at him. The Original stepped back, his eyes trained on his mother.

"Everything you do is an act of war. If you touch her, so help me—"

"Giuliana is free to go and so is Hayley," she interrupted him. "I've spoken my peace and they know why I am here. I have come to heal our family, Elijah."

"Well, that's a grand sentiment, coming from you," Klaus growled and turned to the two women. "Go now. The both of you."

As much as they wanted to stay and not back down from Esther, the pair darted from the shop. Giuliana grabbed Hayley's hand and they rushed back to the compound, far away from Esther, but the Original witch had already planted seeds of a new life inside their heads. The proposition Esther had spoken of had given them a lot to think about.

* * *

"Wow, your mother is really insane." Audrey crossed her arms over her chest.

Elijah, Klaus, Giuliana and Hayley had gathered themselves in the courtyard of the compound after Esther had dismissed all of them. She spoke briefly of her proposition, but told them that Hayley and Giuliana would tell them more. Once settled inside and away from Esther, Hayley explained what the Original witch really wanted from them.

"Besides the offer of rebirth, what else did she say?" Elijah asked Hayley.

"I don't know." She shook her head. "She rambled a lot. She blamed the two of you for what happened to Hope; to me."

"She offered all of us a chance to start over." Giuliana added. "She called it "healing the family.""

Klaus perched himself behind Audrey, his hands placed firmly on her shoulders and his burning gaze on Hayley. "Well, I hope you're not thinking of taking her offer?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on the hybrid, but she could not bring herself to look at any of them. Hayley picked at a loose cuticle on her pinky and then bit the skin with her teeth. She knew they wanted an answer from her, but she was afraid that Klaus wouldn't like hers. She'd tossed around Esther's proposition since they left Lenore's shop and a part of her was screaming to take the deal. She had a hard time adjusting to being a hybrid, so the possibility of being normal again definitely appealed to her.

"Hayley?" Giuliana tilted her head curiously.

"Hayley, I'm talking to you." Klaus' gruff voice snapped the hybrid from her thoughts.

"What do you want me to say, Klaus?" She stood and crossed to meet him. "I lost my daughter. So, yeah, when your mother offers to wipe the slate clean, excuse me if I'm tempted."

Hayley stormed out of the room with Giuliana close behind, knowing her friend would need her in a time like this. Both women were at a crossroads on what to do about Esther, but Giuliana was more cautious than her friend was. She heard the stories, hell she even had the displeasure of meeting the man she was married too and those reasons alone were enough not to trust her. But what if Esther's intentions were genuine? What if she actually wanted to come back from the dead to restore her family?

"Leave them be, Klaus." Audrey could feel him squeezing her right shoulder tightly. "They both have a lot to think about."

Klaus sighed and released her shoulders, rounding the chair to grab a decanter of the poison of his choice and a glass. He poured a liberal amount and downed more than half before setting the glass down. He knew his mother was tricking them. It was so obvious to him and it ticked him off that Hayley and Giuliana were really thinking of taking his mother's offer. Audrey sent a look of sympathy to Elijah and rose, walking to meet Klaus. She pressed a soothing kiss to his cheek and rubbed over the skin with her thumb.

"No matter what you choose to do, I will stand by you," she spoke in a soft whisper, but knew that Elijah would hear it. While knowing that Klaus hated his mother with a passion, she couldn't imagine that the possibility of being human hadn't crossed his mind at least once tonight. Being a human and a witch, Audrey assumed that Esther's deal would not be extended to her, but even she wondered if the Original mother's promise was really a faithful one. She kissed Klaus on the corner of his mouth and bid goodnight to Elijah as she headed upstairs to their bedroom.

Klaus poured himself another drink, letting Audrey's words mingle in his brain. He heard it fall from her lips that she would align with whatever decision that he decided to make, but his mind was made up as soon as he and his brother were chased from Lenore's shop by an army of starlings. He'd tell his wicked mother to take her intentions for healing their family and shove it. He set aside a glass for Elijah who held Audrey's confession close to him. After a thousand years, his brother had reconnected with someone who saw him as his true self. Elijah never realized it until now, but it was clearer than ever.

"Our mother, Elijah," his brother began. "The woman who brought us into the world, made us what we are...and the whole time, she lied to me. She made me weak."

Elijah set his drink down and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "You were never weak, Niklaus. You are; you have always been the most fierce of us all. In a thousand years, I have never seen anyone successfully stand against you. Not even our wicked father. Not one of the countless devoted to your destruction. You'll protect our home, even in the face of an adversary such as our mother, because that, brother, that is what you do."

Klaus smirked widely and took a hold of his brother by the back of the neck. He could always count on Elijah to speak the truth. Especially after learning of his mother's betrayal, he needed to hear his brother's words of kindness. "You remain ever the wise counsel, brother. The rest of the family could learn something from you.

* * *

Hello everyone! I hope all of you have had a wonderful holiday season! Please give this story some love :) I will be updating The Long Way Home within the next few days. Please review!

* * *

 **elisesellas** **:** Hello my dear! I completely understand about school assignments, so don't you worry. I just finished the Fall semester myself a week or so ago and it feels so good to be free!

I will always have a thing for Elijah…a man in a suit is just…well, it does things to me ;) I still want to make Giuliana loveable, but I do want readers to really understand that she is going through a difficult time as a vampire. She does try to take in stride, but there are times where it hits her and we can see that in the chapters. Klaus and Audrey kind of remind me of Bonnie and Clyde or some kind of dastardly duo. Klaus really needs a woman that can be on the same level as him and Audrey has proved that she would go to hell and back for the Mikaelson family. Mikael has always terrified me, but he is such a great character! I'm excited to write him in the next few chapters and I am anxious for you to read them.

I hope you are done with school and that you had a Merry Christmas (if you celebrate, of course) and please have a Happy New Year. Thank you so much for reviewing!

 **grapejuice101:** Thank you for reviewing! Hope you had a wonderful holiday :)

 **NicoleR85:** Thanks Nicole! Hope you had a great holiday!

 **CarlyLynn:** Thank you for reviewing! Hmm, not sure about a confrontation, but there will definitely be a shock once Giuliana finds out that Kaleb is really Kol. Stay tuned and have a happy holiday :)

 **Guest:** Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reviewing and hope you had a nice holiday!

 **Guest:** Thanks for reviewing! Hope you had a nice holiday and that you enjoyed this update!

 **Guest:** Here's the next update! Hope you liked it and had a great holiday!

 **Guest:** Thank you so much for reviewing! Have a nice holiday :)

 **Guest:** So glad you love the story! Enjoy the holiday and thank you for reviewing!

 **piper:** Here ya go! Enjoy the update and the holiday :)

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 **Guest:** Thank you so much for your review :) Enjoy the holiday!


	4. Live and Let Die

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 4: Live and Let Die**

 **Beta:** **PrincessOfSilence**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing of The Originals. I only own my story and my characters.**

* * *

Cami slid her phone inside her bag with a shake of her head as she continued to walk the busy streets of the French Quarter. All Hallow's Eve would be approaching in a matter of hours and people were already partying, most in a drunken stupor while it was still daylight. Cami dodged a few disorderly folks and kept herself on the sidewalk which was less crowded. The last thing she needed was to be swept up in the festivities, however even if she was, she wouldn't be enjoying them since she had a lot on her mind. Her phone call with Davina still stuck with her and she thought about calling her back, but she knew she would get her voicemail and have to leave a message for the thousandth time.

She hadn't heard from Davina for days, but she finally got a call from her; a very vague one at that. Davina assured her friend that she was okay and just needed to skip town for a few days. Cami begged her to reveal where she went, but Davina would not give up her whereabouts. A part of her worried if this was something that had to do with Klaus and that made her even more anxious. She knew that both Davina and Klaus were thickheaded and had something to prove to anyone who stood in their way. Klaus would not have any qualms about squashing Davina and the same applied to the young witch. Some days, Cami wished she'd never become tangled with all of this vampire business. She'd be much happier living a boring, normal life.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" That taunting voice made her halt her steps. She froze where she stood and whipped around to see the one and only Klaus Mikaelson standing a few feet from her.

"What do you want Klaus?" She asked hastily.

"I think you can help us with a little matter," Klaus began and Cami squinted her eyes.

"Us?" She wondered.

"Hello Cami," Audrey greeted and the blonde waitress jolted slightly. Audrey smirked widely just as Cami turned to walk away from her, but she bumped chests with Klaus who had stepped closer. Cami was stuck between a hybrid and a witch, unable to pick the lesser of two evils to go against. Either one of them could erase her from the world if they chose to, but she remained calm and grounded despite her frantically beating heart.

"I don't see you two for months and you're suddenly appearing out of the blue?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I have a list of people I need to track down over the years and you can imagine that the list grows with each new enemy I make."

"Is that so?" She wondered.

"Where is Davina?" Audrey asked gruffly.

"Maybe she doesn't want to be found." Cami was quick to reply.

"And for good reason," Klaus noted. "Had I magically resurrected the insane, vampire-hunting father of my sworn enemy, I'd be hiding too."

Cami gasped, almost stunned into silence after hearing about what Davina had done. "Wait, what?!"

"Oh, haven't you heard? Mikael the Destroyer, back from the dead. And, by all accounts, under the complete control of your little friend, Davina," he said.

"Well, you heard her, clearly." She glared, knowing that Klaus heard her entire conversation with Davina. "She didn't say where she was."

"Oh, on the contrary, love. You just had to know how to listen. For instance, I heard cicadas and I heard tans, but the real giveaway was the church bells. Did you know Davina's family owns a little cabin in Terrebonne Parish?"

"It's been abandoned for years," Audrey spoke up. "But, if you were to look at a map, it's just a mile from the cutest little chapel."

Cami knew they had her beat; there was no way she could lie about Davina's location since Klaus' hearing gave it all away. "Look, you guys just leave her alone, okay?"

"Sorry Cami. No can do." She shook her head.

"The way I see it, if Davina wants to use Mikael to kill me, we have two options. Option one, she lets me have Mikael and two...well you wouldn't like option two very much."

Her nose wrinkled and she clenched her fists at her sides. "You won't touch her!"

"If she's smart, she'll go with option one." The witch smirked.

"We must be on our way." Klaus took Audrey by the waist and led her down the street, but Cami tugged on his arm.

"Klaus, wait!" The pair stopped, allowing her to speak. "I get it. The hurt your parents have inflicted on you for a thousand years. I understand what you're fighting against, but there is no peace in revenge. Please think about what you're doing."

Klaus stormed forward, standing over Cami's shivering form. "I will not be outwitted by a sixteen year old witch. Nor will I run from Mikael anymore."

Cami shied away from him, his anger pushing her back. She didn't expect that kind of a reaction from him, but she did try her best to talk some sense into him. In her fear, she knocked into someone and apologized profusely for being so clumsy. By the time she looked up, Klaus and Audrey had vanished from the streets. She reached into her bag to grab her phone to warn Davina, but immediately panicked after not feeling the black rectangle where she normally kept it. She then checked her pockets, retracing her steps after calling Davina and perhaps thinking she had put it in her pockets rather than her bag, but the phone was nowhere to be found. She whirled around on the sidewalk, looking for Audrey's raven hair or Klaus' evil smirk, but they were both gone. Now she had no way to warn Davina that Klaus would be coming for her.

On a grated balcony above the frantic waitress, Klaus and Audrey watched as Cami cursed loudly before darting down the sidewalk and disappearing into the crowds. Klaus carelessly flipped Cami's cellphone in the air, catching it each time. When she had bumped into him, he was able to quickly grab her cell phone while Audrey distracted her. He couldn't have Cami warn Davina about his arrival. He wanted to give the young witch the surprise of her life. He tossed it up, caught it again, and crushed it in his grip, letting the discarded pieces fall to the floor of the balcony and he stomped on it with his foot for good measure.

"Bless her little human heart that she's trying to talk some sense into you," Audrey spoke.

"Psychology major," Klaus grumbled under his breath.

* * *

"Again."

Giuliana huffed in frustration and shook out her tired arms. She took her stance, holding her fists up even though her muscles were screaming at her. A light sheen of sweat coated her body and she was thankful that she dressed for the occasion that she would be learning how to fight today. She knew Elijah would make good on his word, but she really wished that it wasn't on a Saturday when she would normally sleep in late. This meeting had its advantages too, Marcel's band of vampires had been leaned on by the werewolves that remained loyal to Esther, and so Marcel reached out to Elijah for help which he was more than happy to offer. Marcel had taken the group outside while Elijah trained Giuliana on her own inside the loft. Taking a breath, she threw another punch, but Elijah blocked it...again.

"As a devout feminist, I refuse to say that you hit like a girl," he said.

She narrowed her eyes at him and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Let's face it, I'll never be in a karate movie."

"No, you won't." He tossed her a towel and she caught it nimbly. She dabbed her face while he unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt. He folded them up, exposing his forearms and he also removed his tie along with unbuttoning the top buttons.

"Thanks for the support," she muttered sarcastically. Giuliana put the towel aside, feeling a lot less sweaty and she adjusted her ponytail since it had begun to come loose. "Be honest, am I the worst pupil you've taught?"

"Not the worst." Elijah shrugged.

"I just feel like we've been at this for hours and I still suck." Her hair tie suddenly snapped when she attempted to tie her hair back up and she tossed the wretched thing to the other side of the loft. Her dark waves dusted over her shoulders and Elijah couldn't help but sneak a peek at her. Even in the midst of her frustrations, she still looked beautiful. To distract himself from staring further at her, he moseyed on over to the bar where a stereo system was perched on the floor. He turned it on and flicked through the stations until he settled on something that was upbeat. He immediately noticed her attention shift and she was tapping her foot along to the song.

"You enjoy music, yes?" He asked her and she nodded. Ever since being turned, he noticed that she'd keep a pair of headphones handy, so she could plug in her phone and listen to songs. There were many nights she would sneak in late from her adventures in the Quarter and he could smell the sweat of human bodies on her. She'd gone out to dance and enjoy music, the one thing that helped her to escape even for just a little while.

"Like music, fighting is rhythm," he continued. "There is a meter; there is a pattern. Let that rhythm beat within you."

Giuliana nodded again, letting Elijah's wise words turn the gears in her head. Maybe she just had to think of fighting in a different way. Music was something she connected to when she was resurrected a few years back and it made the seemingly impossible possible. It was something about modern beats and innovative lyrics that drew her in. She focused on the sounds coming from the stereo, her internal clock becoming one with the music.

"Okay." She stood in her defensive stance, her fists at the ready and Elijah squared off across from her.

"Again."

Like a bullet leaving the chamber of a gun, she threw two quick punches in succession. Elijah blocked both of them with his forearms. She then swung her arm around to elbow him, but he caught it. She could already feel her movements become more powerful and were in sync with the music.

"Legato," he said before delivering a hit. Her Italian might have been rusty, but she knew it was a musical term meaning notes being played smoothly without a break. She dodged Elijah and advanced, her fists flying at him. She managed to get a good hit, nailing him in the cheek, but that didn't stop him.

"Ostinato." A pattern, she translated the word in her head and went back to her first two punches which Elijah blocked in the same exact manner. She then elbowed him and he caught her, like he'd done earlier. They both circled each other, their gazes burning into one another, daring their opponent to make the first move.

"Crescendo." She knew that term. A gradual increase in loudness or intensity. Giuliana lifted her leg, her kick nailing him in the shoulder. He gripped her leg and she spun out of it much quicker than he anticipated. She vamped behind him, hoping to catch him off guard, but he was already turned and facing her. The two threw punches and kicks, establishing a rhythm between them.

"And then, once you've established your cadence-" Elijah was cut off by Giuliana punching him in the stomach and pressing him to the wall. They were both panting from the fight, their chests gently moving in and out.

"You switch it up." She smiled, finally understand what the hell Elijah had been talking about when he was training her.

"Very nice." He breathed with a grin on his face. She had done well after responding to his analogy with music and fighting. He then took her free hand and pressed it against his chest.

"Now...the head or the heart?" His question made her heart skip a beat and she was happy that he didn't have his hand on her chest because he would have felt it. The head is responsible for making logical decisions, but the heart is notorious for throwing concerns from the head out of the window. She hated when her heart betrayed her head. It happened the night in the bayou when she kissed Elijah after he saved her from the explosions. It happened the following day when she let herself kiss Elijah back when she had confessed to him that he was the only person he trusted with her life. It was going to happen again if she didn't snap out of it.

Elijah noticed that she hesitated, realizing that she was having second thoughts about the next part of her training. He knew it would not be an easy thing for her to do, so he remained patient with her. "None of this matters if you cannot make the kill."

"I...can't do it," she mumbled weakly and removed her hand, but Elijah caught it. He firmly placed it back on his chest, right over his heart.

"You must. To survive." He implored. She could feel the beating muscle through his shirt and she gulped at tearing his chest open just to yank his heart out. Of course with Elijah on the receiving end, it made it much harder for her to do it, but she knew that if she needed to kill to stay alive, she'd do it. Elijah's hand tightened around her wrist and their eyes locked again.

"Now...the head or the heart?" The question came again, but this time, she didn't hesitate.

She reared her arm back and thrust it forward with as much force as she could muster. The palm of her hand cracked through his chest cavity, shattered a few ribs, and her fingers enclosed around the wildly beating organ. His warm blood made her grip slippery, but she held tight to his heart. Elijah winced in pain, but being an Original gave him the upper hand in terms of dealing with a hit from a newly turned vampire. Giuliana looked up from the hole in his chest, her gaze finding his and she was suddenly engulfed by the sound of his heartbeat. Every other noise fell away from them; the music, the training happening outside, all of it was gone and it was just the two of them inside that loft space. Elijah took a hold of the arm that was buried inside his chest and tugged her forward, her hand falling deeper inside him and their faces coming closer together.

It been too long since the last time his lips were on hers. She remembered when he pressed her back to the window and claimed her lips hungrily and she swore in that moment her world had stopped. She desperately wished for him to do the same thing, to take control and show her how he really felt. Her insides burned and ached for him, even more so now that she was a vampire. She knew everything would be heightened, but this feeling deep inside her chest was too strong to ignore.

"Elijah?"

Hayley's horrified voice started the pair, so much so that Giuliana tore her hand from Elijah's chest roughly. He groaned, but pushed his pain to the back burner. The young vampire could sense that she was blushing from the position that Hayley found her in and she desperately tried to think of something other than Elijah. He was mildly embarrassed as well, mentally scolding himself for losing his head earlier. He was meant to teach Giuliana how to fight and he had easily become distracted by her presence. He cleared his throat and adjusted his shirt, picking at the stained fabric and making a mental note that he'd have to send it out for cleaning.

"We need to talk," Hayley continued and a young man followed her inside the loft. He was a head taller than Hayley with dark hair and blue-green eyes. His scent was distinctly wolf and he looked nervous to be walking into the room with two vampires.

"We're not here for a fight. Just hear him out." The hybrid added. "This is Aiden."

Elijah looked the wolf up and down, scrutinizing his appearance. "Speak. I suggest you be succinct."

Aiden's gaze passed between the two bloodied vampires. Clearly, they weren't afraid to get their hands dirty and that made him all the more anxious. With a sigh, he spoke. "Please. I need your help."

Elijah gathered Oliver, Marcel, Josh and Gia inside the loft to discuss why Aiden had come to them in such a panic. Finn was planning to speak with some of the human faction that were hesitant to follow along with his new leadership, but he had leverage against the naysayers. Children. Werewolf children, specifically. Finn could use them as a bargaining chip, by making the kids make their first kill. This would activate their curse and there would be a whole bunch of young wolves running around the Quarter.

"The witch wants soldiers. So, now it's either join up, or pay the price," Aiden explained.

"I've known my brother Finn to be merciless, but I'll admit, this exceeds even my expectations," Elijah noted.

"So, she thinks making these kids activate their curses is her best shot?" Giuliana crossed her arms over her chest. "Man, I'm glad I missed dinner the other night. Your mom's a psycho."

"Where are they now?" Elijah ignored Giuliana's jab at his mother which stung her a little.

"The kids are being held in the City of the Dead until we bring them through the Quarter to St. Anne's Church." Aiden replied.

"They're just kids," Hayley spoke up. "Marcel, you know the Quarter like the back of your hand. If anyone can get them out of here, it's you."

"Oh? And take 'em where?" Marcel wondered.

"There's still wolves deep in the Bayou. Ones that didn't take a ring. They can look after them." Oliver suggested.

"The ones that never sold out, you mean." Marcel glared at the wolf.

Oliver growled low in his chest. "You wanna look at it like that, that's fine. We did what we had to do."

"Guys, enough." Giuliana held up her hands and both men seemingly backed down from one another. "We can argue about this later, but right now we have kids in jeopardy."

"Your wolves have been fighting us for decades." Marcel declared. "Why trust us now?"

"One of the recruits is my little brother." Aiden suddenly spoke up, silencing the bickering pair. Even the others in the room were quiet at his pull in the situation. With their attention, he continued. "There's no way I'm sending him to war."

Pairs of eyes wandered silently around the room, each looking into the anxious gaze of another. The room was divided. Vampires and werewolves fought since the beginning of time, but now they had to decide whether to come together or not. As much as the wolves trusted their own pack, they needed all the help they could get if they wanted to get those kids out from under Esther's thumb. Everyone's stare finally settled on Elijah who would be the leader of this whole operation. Without him, their plan would most likely fall to pieces. The Original gave a sigh, knowing that he would be dammed if he did help the wolves and dammed if he didn't, but he decided to aid in the destruction of another one of his mother's wretched plans.

"Tell us what you need."

While Aiden outlined his concerns to Elijah, Giuliana couldn't help but notice that Josh had been awkwardly uncomfortable since he entered the loft. He would shift on his feet, fidget with his hands and his eyes would dart all over the room. His nervousness was putting a kink in Giuliana's calm mood and she was becoming irked by him. She desperately tried to hold her tongue, but she managed to get his attention without disturbing Aiden and Elijah.

"Psst! What's up with you?" Her question only seemed to put him even more on edge.

"Nothing. I'm fine," he replied, not once taking his gaze off Aiden who was in deep conversation with the Original. Giuliana pouted and pursed her lips. She elbowed him harshly and he groaned low.

"Ow! What did you do that for?" He narrowed his gaze at her.

"Because you're acting weird." She hushed, getting the attention of Aiden who just shot them a sideways glance. Josh shifted his weight awkwardly on his feet and spared another look at Aiden before taking Giuliana's hand and pulling her out of the room and outside. Once he led her around the corner of the loft building, he looked around to make sure they were completely alone and out of earshot.

"Okay...if I tell you will you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"And will you promise not to freak out?" He questioned.

"Well, it depends on what you're going to tell me," the vampire debated. "I might not be able to help myself from freaking out."

Josh sighed, at least she promised not to tell anyone. So, he'd have to settle for her freaking out since he knew that she would. He took his phone from his pocket and logged into an app, all the while fidgeting nervously.

"Okay, so I've been messaging with this guy on a dating site..."

Giuliana grinned, happy to see that Josh was putting himself out there. "That's great!"

"It is, but...this one guy I've been talking to...I really like is..." He trailed off, staring at his feet.

"Is...?" She wondered, prompting him to continue, but he handed her his phone instead. She cautiously took it to see a photo of a young man on the screen.

"Ooh, he's cute," she gushed and flicked through the other pictures. "He's really-"

Josh knew why she suddenly stopped speaking. He then watched her scroll on the screen while opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. Giuliana's gaze switched from Josh to the phone, almost unable to form words at the situation. Out of all of the guys Josh could have been interested in, he had to be interested in this particular guy.

"Yeah." Josh sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Holy..."

"I know..."

"That's Aiden!" She shouted and Josh shushed her.

"Be quiet!"

"I'm sorry, but this moment is totally freak out worthy."

"I know," he groaned.

"Woah, talk about forbidden love." She gaped and handed him back his phone.

"Tell me about it," he agreed. "I mean, we started talking just as friends. You know, we flirted a little back and forth and we even talked about meeting up. I just didn't expect him to walk through the door today."

"Do you think he knows it's you?"

"I hope not. I've been trying to avoid him."

"Well, think of it this way, he came to us to ask for help, so he must not be completely opposed to the idea of vampires." She was trying to be logical about it, but Josh knew that vampire/werewolf relationships normally ended badly. Boy wolf meets boy vampire, boy wolf and boy vampire hook-up, boy wolf bites boy vampire and boy vampire dies.

"It'll never work." Josh shook his head. "We're too different and what will Marcel say?"

"You haven't even met him in person yet and you're already jumping to conclusions." She stopped him. "Do you like him?"

Josh pocketed his phone and slowly nodded. "Yeah."

"So, I don't see anything wrong in meeting up with him after this is over."

"But, he's a werewolf and I'm a vampire; we're sworn enemies."

"But today you're not," she countered. "Today you're both on the same side for the first time in a long time."

The male vampire rocked back and forth on his heels, battling with himself as far as what to do with the situation at hand. He really liked Aiden from talking with him via messages, but seeing him today made him doubt if their friendship, let alone future relationship would even work. However, Aiden was willing to come to vampires for help didn't completely rule him out.

"Look, we'll conduct business as business tonight, but once the kids are safe, I would definitely go for it." She added optimistically. "What do you have to lose?"

The smallest ghost of a smile tweaked the edges of Josh's lips and something inside him was cheering for him to take his friend's advice. His smile grew at she tilted her head toward the loft.

"Let's go. We've got some kids to rescue."

* * *

A low fog encircled Klaus and Audrey's ankles as they came upon Davina's cabin and they were thankful for the cover of night to hide their shadows. Klaus was right, it was a charming little cabin nestled away in the woods and while they walked the chiming of church bells could be heard in the distance. The fallen leaves crunched beneath their feet and a dim light from the cabin porch came into view. Audrey could feel Davina's presence inside, but upon coming closer, the cabin looked abandoned. Klaus' vision was sharp enough to peer through the windows, but he saw empty rooms. His fist clenched at his side and he gave a low growl at Davina's craftiness, but he knew her illusion would soon be yanked away.

Klaus continued to walk forward while Audrey remained still, her gaze examining the house for any movement or a flaw in Davina's spell. The hybrid came across a wooden staff that was stuck into the soil. He recognized the crest of his family's clan carved into the wood and his anger grew knowing Mikael was nearby, but under Davina's protection. He unearthed the staff, holding it tightly in his grip and he staggered back to meet Audrey. With one look, she told him to wait and she stepped closer to the house. She was about thirty feet from the porch when she could hear the crackle of Davina's magic.

Audrey's eyes suddenly turned black, the bright moon reflecting off the surface and she felt her aura walking up onto the porch. She pushed herself through the door, melting with the wood and coming out the other side. Davina and a young man were sitting cross-legged on the floor, their lips moving simultaneously to chant a spell. The aura moved closer, still unseen by the pair and it dissolved into a thin smoke. It grew closer to Davina's mouth and as soon as she took a breath, she inhaled the mist. Before she could understand what had happened to her, the aura already took over her entire body. She stopped chanting and her gaze became black like Audrey's. The young man beside her noticed that he was the only one speaking, so he frantically shook Davina by her shoulders. Davina remained unmoving, her body falling slack and limbs became limp.

Outside, a sly smirk painted Audrey's lips. With both witches quiet, the spell around the house dropped and Klaus could clearly see the young warlock and Davina through the once masked windows. The gentleman with her was panicked, unsure of what had happened to Davina and he would soon find out. Audrey snapped her fingers and the black sheen over Davina's gaze broke. The young witch was suddenly aware of her surroundings and that the spell had been stopped. Klaus then hoisted the wooden staff up and thrust it through the window. The glass shattered loudly and Davina screamed, trying to duck out of the way, but in her rush, she smacked her head on the corner of a trunk. She fell to the ground unconscious and the warlock leaned over her, gently smacking her cheeks to wake her. He then pulled her away from the window, afraid of what was outside coming in and he managed to get them in a room. He closed the door, barricading it with chairs and a dresser, but it would not hold against who was outside.

"Enough games, Davina!" Klaus shouted. "Send out my father! Let's finish this!"

Heavy footfalls made the wooden porch creak and groan loudly as a shadowed figure came into view. Mikael stepped down off the porch, the white oak stake gripped strongly in his hold. His gaze flicked between the pair and he smirked menacingly at them. Audrey's hands glowed dimly while Klaus produced Papa Tunde's blade from inside his jacket. A rustling could be heard from the cabin and Audrey saw the form of the warlock rushing between rooms. No doubt he might make the fight uneven, Klaus thought to himself. He tightened his hold on Papa Tunde's blade and Mikael did the same with the white oak stake.

"You handle the boy." Klaus spoke to Audrey and she nodded. Her fingertips glowed even brighter and Mikael lunged for her, thinking she was going to attack him, however he got as far as a few steps before Klaus rammed him with his shoulder. Both men squared off, blade and stake at the ready while Audrey slipped inside the cabin.

"Hello boy," Mikael spat. "You seem rather impatient. Are you so eager to meet your end?"

"I'm only eager to stand over your burning corpse again. Only this time, I intend to enjoy it more." Klaus seethed.

Mikael grinned evilly. "I've traveled all the way back from hell for this moment."

The hybrid gave a sly smile. "Well, then, I'd hate to keep you waiting."

Audrey quietly closed the door behind her and her eyes scanned the room. The house was quiet, minus the energy she was sensing from the warlock whom barricaded himself in a separate room. Davina must have been with him since she did not see her unconscious form. Audrey moved to stand right behind the door, the tiny bits of glass from the shattered window crunching beneath her feet. The sounds of Mikael and Klaus outside were able to mask her already stealthy movements and she prepared herself to go into battle with this new warlock. Her hands fell to her sides and her eyes began to glow dark red as did the tips of her fingers.

Kaleb pressed another trunk against the pile of objects already bolting the door. Giving a quick look out the window, he saw Klaus and Mikael fighting, but he was then panicked realizing that the witch his brother had come with was nowhere to be seen. He could only assume that she had come looking for him; which meant that he and Davina were in danger. Kaleb took Davina's limp body by her underarms and dragged her to a corner of the room before casting a cloaking spell on her. If this witch was here to cause some damage, he knew it would be better to keep Davina hidden and out of harm's way.

The door suddenly exploded open, the contents that had been pushed against it were thrown all throughout the room and Kaleb ducked. He covered his face and head with his hands and waited for the smoke to clear in the room. The impaled door barely hung from it hinges and the objects were in pieces, some hardly recognizable. He lifted his gaze to see Audrey wading through the damaged room. Her eyes locked onto his and before Kaleb could stop her, she had already taken a peek inside his brain. He could feel her poking around and with all of his magic, he forced her out, but she already knew his secret. The blood rushing through his veins was one that was familiar to her, much like the connection she felt with Finn in the nights prior. Like Finn, this Mikaelson was also wearing an entirely different mask.

"Ah," Audrey tsked with a knowing smirk. "Another Mikaelson."

"This doesn't concern you, dearie." Kol slowly crawled to his feet, bracing himself on an overturned bookcase.

Audrey rolled her eyes and zapped Kol with her magic, making him cry out in pain. "I was involved in this ever since I met your brother."

The warlock recovered quickly and shot a ball of electricity at Audrey. She managed to dodge it and prepared her next attack. "I'm not here to hurt you. Just leave us alone."

"I can't do that." She lifted her hand and Kol felt a force tightening around his neck. He groped at it, but was flung to the wall. "Now, what else does Mommy Dearest have in mind?"

Before Kol could protest anymore, his playful gaze turned black as night, much like what happened to Davina earlier. Audrey's turned the same color and she pressed herself into Kol's subconscious, looking for something useful. His body went slack under her powers which made it easier for Audrey scan his thoughts which were somewhat blurred and murky. She could see Esther, now in the body of Lenore, prattling on about trying to convince her children to take her deal. Audrey considered the Originals lucky for at least Esther settled with host bodies rather than killing her children like the last plans that had blown up in her face. Another vision passed her, almost too quickly, but she could see Lenore holding something close to her chest. It wasn't a physical object that Audrey could see and she pushed forward to get more from the vision but it dissolved quickly much like it had in Kol's subconscious.

Audrey let out a sigh and let Kol go, not seeing anything else of use to her. It seemed as if Esther's intentions to save her damned children by placing them in host bodies was genuine. Kol crumpled to the ground in a heap, holding his throat and panting heavily. He'd heard his mother talk of Audrey's power, but he had yet to experience it until tonight. She possessed a different kind of magic that greatly intrigued his mother.

"Useless." She scoffed down at the warlock. Kol glared at her, but was suddenly distracted by a movement over her shoulder. In the midst of everything, Davina had awoken and quietly snuck up behind the offending witch. With her hands outstretched, she began to chant, but she was suddenly choking on her words. She stammered, stumbling over syllables that normally came so easily to her.

Kol rose to help his seemingly paralyzed friend, but Audrey waved her fingers over his face and the warlock was sent into unconsciousness. Audrey then turned to face Davina who was crying out in frustration that she couldn't utter a single word in a spell. She was ambushed by both Klaus and Audrey, an attack that even all her power was not ready for. Audrey tilted her head to the side, curiously watching the witch unravel before her and some part of her took pleasure in seeing her fall down off her high horse. She remembered a time where even she was as careless as Davina when it came to practicing. She was young and reckless, but that only came back to bite her in the end. She tsked at Davina, knowing that history could very well repeat itself if she wasn't careful.

"Seems as though you've bitten off more than you can chew." She mocked Davina. The poor witch could only jabber in response, her tongue seemingly tied. Audrey fluttered her fingers, like how she did with Kol, and Davina fainted like a rag doll.

"Damn, I'm good." Audrey smirked to herself as she exited the house where she met Klaus. He was standing over Mikael's still body with the white oak stake in his hand. He'd used Papa Tunde's knife to immobilize his father, deciding that a quick death would be much too kind. A wolf bayed at the moon in the distant forest, a soothing sound for Klaus which reminded him that this battle was over.

* * *

Dainty olive skinned hands adjusted a skull mask to rest comfortably over emerald green eyes. The Quarter was swarming with hundreds of costumed bodies and masks faces as they danced on the streets and sidewalks. With a drink in one hand and the bottom of a dark skirt in the other, the skeleton weaved through the crowds, hot on the trail of a group of teenagers. From behind the mask, almond shaped eyes scanned the faces all around and she took a sip from her cup. Giuliana pushed through a few more gyrating bodies, trying her best to keep close to the kids, but cursing choosing a midnight blue corset as part of her costume for tonight. The laces were tied so tight she could hardly draw a breath and the added bodies squished beside her did not help, but she pushed onward, blending into the crowds. Aiden was leading them at the front, making it seem like he was leading the kids to St. Ann's church. Escorts remained along the perimeter while Gia and Giuliana were disguised as partygoers. Elijah and Oliver were waiting in a parking garage outside the city for the kids, but they had to be taken out of the Quarter first.

The wolf at the front continued to walk, but peered over his shoulder, catching Giuliana's glance and she nodded knowingly. She drunkenly stumbled over her own feet, knocking into one of Esther's followers. She gave him a charming smirk and pressed her body into his in an effort to distract him enough for Aiden to lead the kids off the street. This follower was less than impressed with the vampire, so he gripped her upper arms and tossed her aside. She hissed, flashing her fangs and she lunged at him, but Gia quickly snapped his neck before she could cause a scene. She dragged the body aside, leaving it in the street and they looked across the crowd to see that Gia had already taken out the other follower.

Giuliana adjusted the corset she was caged in and let out a huff. "I had him."

"Sure you did." Gia chuckled. "He wasn't exactly your type."

"Yeah, yeah." She waved her off and sent Aiden a signal to step on it. He called the kids around them and told them to keep up with him. They rushed through the Quarter and Aiden made a hard right around a corner which led them into an alley. He slowed his gait, not seeing Hayley, but she peeked her head outside Rousseau's and beckoned for them to come closer. The group of them bustled inside the bar and Hayley moved a cupboard away from the wall. Behind it was a door which she opened and it led to a series of tunnels.

"Go ahead." Hayley stood aside. "It's a passageway from the Prohibition days. It'll take us pretty much anywhere we want to go."

"Come on kids." Giuliana and Hayley led them inside with Aiden and Gia holding up the rear. The tunnels wound this way and that until they reached the exit which emptied into some woods behind a gas station. Josh was waiting patiently for them and he removed the grate, allowing the group out of the tunnels.

"Hey, where's Marcel?" He asked Gia.

"He's getting the getaway car," she replied.

"Hey! Big-mouth! Shut it!" Hayley hissed. "There are werewolves everywhere."

Gia held up her hands apologetically and beckoned the kids to follow Josh to their next point of interest. They weaved through the wooded area and walked to the dimly lit gas station where Marcel was waiting with an ambulance. He hopped out of the front seat and popped open the back doors, gesturing for the kids to get inside.

"An ambulance. Really?" Giuliana joked.

"It was all I could nab given the short notice." he replied and stole a look at her attire. "Nice costume."

"Shut up," she grumbled.

Aiden stood beside the doors, counting each kid that got in and his heart nearly exploded seeing the face of his younger brother in the mix. He enveloped him in a hug, thanking whatever powers that were that everything went as smoothly as it did.

"Aiden, you made it."

"Of course I did, Nick." Aiden pulled away and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "I told you I'd be here, didn't I?"

Nick smiled at his older brother before climbing inside the back with his other friends. Once everyone was inside, Hayley and Aiden closed the doors, locking them securely into place with a satisfying click. Aiden turned to the group that helped him with his plan, his gaze stopping to rest on each face.

"Thank you. All of you," he spoke genuinely.

"We're all fighting for the same thing, you know. Just trying to save the ones that we love." Hayley said and Aiden agreed with her. Marcel patted Aiden on the shoulder before going to the driver's seat of the ambulance and turning the keys in the ignition. Nick put his hand against the back window and Aiden waved at his brother lovingly. The ambulance drove away, inside it, a group of werewolf kids that had been spared of their curse for a little while longer.

In the interim, Josh was nervously twiddling his thumbs, not wanting to look at Aiden, but it was hard with Giuliana poking him in the ribs. She motioned for Josh to give Aiden a call, shaping her fingers like a telephone and Josh was ready to growl at her when Aiden turned to face them. Giuliana cleared her throat awkwardly and made sure her hand phone looked more like she was combing a piece of hair behind her ears. She smiled charmingly, partly because Aiden hadn't seen her gesturing at Josh and she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"So...who wants a drink?"

* * *

"All's well that ends well, I suppose," Audrey said and lightly nudged Mikael's body with the tip of her boot. It was strangely satisfying for her to be looking down upon the man that killed her with a stake to the heart almost ninety years ago. The only thing that would have made it even better would be if she were the one who had stabbed Mikael, but Audrey knew that him and his father had much bad blood between them, so she'd rather Klaus deliver the final blow.

Klaus trudged behind her, standing beside Mikael's still form. Dribbles of blood from where he stabbed him from Papa Tunde's blade stained his shirt and he looked down upon his own bloodstained hands. Mikael put up a good fight and Klaus did have the opportunity to kill him for good when the white oak stake fell into his possession, but he decided that a lifetime of pain and suffering would be a more fitting punishment for Mikael. Klaus popped open the trunk and hoisted Mikael's body inside, he'd keep him there until he could find a suitable resting place for him.

"What of Davina?" He asked while locking the trunk.

"She'll have a nasty bump on her head tomorrow, but she'll survive," the witch replied.

"And the boy?"

"Didn't give me much trouble." She grinned. "I thought you said that Kol was the most mischievous of your brothers."

Klaus sent her an odd look as if to ask why she was suddenly interested in his younger brother, but then it hit him. His mother informed him that even Kol, the wildest of the Mikaelsons, conformed to her ideals. He turned to face her, leaning against the side of the truck with his arms folded over his chest.

"Well, if it isn't the return of the Happy Homicidal Maniac." He sighed, shaking his head. "Now the whole family is back together."

"Aren't you thrilled?" She murmured sarcastically, making Klaus chuckle heartily.

"Mother must be beside herself."

"There was something else," she spoke and Klaus waited for her to continue. "Esther is hiding something."

Klaus took a step towards her, minimizing the space between them. "What is it?"

"I couldn't see it. It's not something that can be held, but whatever it is, she's holding it very close to her. Like she's haunted by it almost," she explained. "Perhaps a skeleton in her closet?"

"My mother is infamous for her skeleton filled closet." Klaus rolled his eyes.

"One thing we definitely know that she intends to put all of you in new bodies."

"Let her try," he grumbled.

"Oh, she will." The witch nodded, but then turned seeing some lights from the cabin go on. Cami had driven her car to the edge of the woods and tracked the cottage on a map she'd taken from a travel agency office in the Quarter and after hours of searching, she finally stumbled upon the smug couple and Mikael's body. She gave the pair of piece of her mind, shouting at them for intimidating her and taking her phone, but she was more concerned about Davina's wellbeing. Klaus directed her to the cabin and they hadn't heard from her since.

"We should be heading back. The night is still young." He unlocked the car and she climbed in the passenger seat. She clicked on her seatbelt and the engine roared to life.

"Where do you intend on putting him?" Audrey motioned to the body in the trunk.

Klaus' gaze remained on the wooded area in front of him and his smirk grew impossibly wide. "I know just the place."

* * *

"Hey," Hayley's soft voice lightly jostled Giuliana from her contemplation outside the bay window in Marcel's loft. After successfully completing their mission, Marcel had been kind enough to invite everyone back to the loft to have a celebratory drink. Aiden turned down the invitation, mentioning that he wanted to reconvene with his pack which made Josh visibly deflate, but he still decided to come to the loft to take his mind off things. Gia and Hayley were talking about their new beginnings as vampires when the hybrid noticed Giuliana had gone quiet and was fixated on the window.

The green eyed vampire held a glass of alcohol in her hands, but she hadn't taken a sip, her mind running too quickly to catch up with. Their mission had gone on without a hitch, but the group had easily forgotten about Elijah and Oliver's part of the plan. They were to wait in a parking garage outside the city and hold Esther's followers at bay until the kids were out of harm's way. They should have been back by now, Giuliana thought to herself as she tightened her hold on the glass. The hours stretched on and still she hadn't heard from either of them. Her stomach churned nervously in knots; she knew something didn't feel right. What if they had been overpowered by the wolves? What if Esther had found out about the plan to rescue the kids?

It was only until she heard Hayley's voice did her mind stop reeling and she turned to face the hybrid who was looking at her worriedly. Marcel and Gia were concerned too and even though the later had only met Giuliana and Elijah together for one occasion, she could see that the vampire harbored some strong emotions for the Original. Hayley sensed that Giuliana was nervous about Elijah's return or lack thereof and she wished she could put her friend at ease.

"You alright?" She asked.

Giuliana shook her head and tapped the sides of her glass with her nails. "We left Elijah alone."

Hayley sighed deeply and moved herself to sit beside her friend. "Look, I'm sure he's alright. It's Elijah we're talking about."

"Hayley, we're dealing with one of the most powerful witches of all time." She countered. "What if something happened?"

"Elijah can take care of himself."

"I know he can, but Esther is insane. You saw her that night."

The hybrid hadn't forgotten when they had been approached by Esther that fateful evening. Truthfully, she hadn't been able to shake their meeting with the Original witch. That woman was a whole other brand of insanity all on her own and Hayley was genuinely frightened for her life that night, but if anyone could handle Esther, she knew that Elijah could.

"I'm really worried, Hayley," Giuliana added. "I just...something doesn't feel right."

"Giuliana..."

"I'm going to look for him." She stood from her spot and suddenly so did Marcel who had been listening to their conversation.

"It's okay, just calm down." He spoke softly, holding up a hand.

"I can't just sit here, Marcel," she argued.

"Look, there is no sense in losing our heads right now," he reasoned. "I know Elijah. He's been in a lot of jams before, some of them a lot worse than this one and he's gotten out of them."

Giuliana wasn't nearly convinced by Marcel's testimony, but she had to give him credit. Elijah had been stuck in a lot of nasty situations, but no matter how high the odds were stacked against him, he'd find a way to turn things in his favor. Perhaps Marcel was right and Elijah was back at the compound safe and sound, but doubt quickly clouded her judgement. He would have called, she thought silently to herself. Deciding to take Marcel's advice, Giuliana nodded unsurely and sat herself back down. Marcel sent a glance to Hayley, somewhat surprised that Giuliana had listened to him considering how she felt toward the Original. Everyone went back to their own conversations; Giuliana even participated as the night grew older, but she couldn't help this odd feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was horribly wrong.

* * *

 **Hello my darlings! So sorry for the delay, but here is a new chapter :) Please give it lots of love!**

* * *

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	5. Red Door

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 5: Red Door**

 **Beta: PrincessOfSilence**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Originals. I only own my characters and story.**

* * *

 _A ghostly figure in white ran down an endlessly long hallway, her dark waves racing to catch up with the rest of her. Bare feet pounded against the carpet, her breath heavy as it passed from her lungs. She felt as if she'd been running her whole life, keeping a good distance from the thing that tried to catch her, but now its claws were too close for comfort. She pushed herself even harder, the fabric of a white nightgown nearly getting tangled up in her strides. As she came to the end of the hall, a red door blocked her path, but perhaps it was the only way out._

 _"Help! Someone please help me!" Giuliana's fists banged on the door, but no one was there to answer her tortured screams. She tried the doorknob, but it stuck stubbornly in its place. She peered over her shoulder and shrieked in terror, seeing the monster she was running from draw closer. Her pounding on the door became furious now, but her efforts fell short as he was now behind her, his breath practically breathing down her neck. She whipped around, her cheeks red and throat sore from screaming. Her gaze fell on her captor and she wished she would awaken from this horrid nightmare._

 _"No! Elijah, please don't!" She cried, practically dropping to her knees before him. Perhaps if she begged for mercy, he would let her go. She clasped her hands together, pleading with him, but it was his harsh grip on her upper arms that made her whine in pain. He lifted her up, smashing her back against the red door and he watched as complete horror washed over her face. Some of her soft dark waves were crunched beneath his strong hands when he grabbed her and her emerald eyes were shining with tears. His mouth and body were stained with fresh rivers of blood that entangled in one another. He'd had his fill, slaughtering those that stood in his way, but there was room for one more morsel._

 _Purplish veins pulsed along his cheekbones and his eyes glazed over with hues of dark red and black. Behind his lips, his sharp fangs grew long and she shied impossibly farther away from him. The man that had once swore to be her protector was now a predator and she was his waiting prey. She shook in his hold, tremors of fear wracking her soul so much so that Elijah tightened his grip. A pained whimper turned into a desperate sob, making the vampire hiss at her. She shrunk even further into herself, flinching at the thought of his fangs entering her skin. He was taunting her and she knew it. If he was kind, he would have made her death quick, but he was dragging it out as long as possible. The chase, the hunt, the searing gaze of his eyes. It was all meant to scare her and she would be haunted for an eternity._

 _His hand tunneled in her hair, yanking her locks roughly and she cried out, making him smirk evilly at her discomfort. He exposed her neck and his mouth watered at her olive flesh and blue veins. Enough games, his conscious ordered and with one swoop, his fangs penetrated her skin. An ungodly scream was torn from her throat, but her vocal chords had been so previously abused that it came out more like a wail. Elijah could swear that he heard her beseeching him to let her live, but the taste of her blood had deafened his ears._

The Original vampire was suddenly awoken from his nightmare with a start. Surely it was the echo of Giuliana's cries that startled him. His arms ached dully and he pulled on them to learn he was bound in chains. His wrists were held above his head, spread out and he followed the links to two rafters. He tested them, pulling and tugging, but his strength was weakened. He let his arms fall slack and stood on his two feet. His shirt was bloodied and his body throbbed.

"Have you forgotten where you are, son?" Esther entered holding a cup of tea. Elijah looked around him once more. It was a distant memory, but it was coming back to him where he was. In the parking garage last night, he remembered being impaled on a stake and falling into darkness. When he awoke, he could faintly hear his mother speaking, but he quickly slipped into unconsciousness again. The Lafayette cemetery was a good place for Esther to bring her darling son to persuade him to see clearly. Elijah had always been such a good boy and she was hopeful that he would be the next of her children to take her deal.

"Save your strength. My chains don't break so easily." She added and pointed to a small doll that hung from the ceiling near the chains. It had been spelled to weaken her son, so that he could listen to her plight.

"Having sweet dreams?" Her question made Elijah lunge for her, but his restraints held him back once more.

"Get out of my head," he growled.

"I'm not in your head, dear." She smirked wickedly. "You were screaming."

Elijah glared at her, testing the chains by wrapping them around his wrists, grasping the links in his hands and pulling. Esther took a long sip of her tea and placed the cup neatly down on the saucer. She set the cup down on a small table in the crypt and walked over to the door. She stopped in the entryway and shadows cast from the sun outside framed her.

"Go ahead, get your bearings. We have much to discuss." Those were her last words to him before she set foot into the cemetery.

* * *

"There had better be a damn good reason for interrupting my sleep," Audrey grumbled as she moseyed inside the cabin. Two sets of eyes peered up at her, both with different expressions. Kol, or Kaleb, or whatever name he decided to take up while in his host body, showed a slight sliver of fear in his gaze. He'd remembered how Audrey had sent him for a loop and would have liked it very much for the two to stay away from one another.

The other gaze was Cami's and Audrey felt her stare as she walked up to the cabin before seeing her. Audrey guessed she was still angry about Klaus swiping her phone from her, but Cami's rage was fueled from the events of last night. She sat crouched beside a still unconscious Davina while Kol paced about nervously. Audrey crossed her arms over her chest just as Klaus entered the cabin and stood next to her.

"She's not waking up." The blonde gestured to Davina.

"Well, I knocked her out pretty hard last night." Audrey grinned. "Perhaps she'll think twice before challenging me again."

"You did this. You need to fix it." Cami stood, her stance strong and her fists clenched.

"Careful dear. Wouldn't want the same thing that happened to Davina happen to you now, would you?"

It was Klaus' turn to grin. "Not to worry, Camille; I'm sure Davina is having a restful sleep."

"We need to get her to a hospital," she protested.

"Then do it yourself if you're so concerned." Audrey narrowed her eyes.

Cami's fists clenched at her sides. "I never thought I would meet another person as selfish as Klaus, but I think you might have him beat."

Audrey gave a melodious laugh, the trills of her voice sending the most delectable of shivers up Klaus' spine. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Ladies, come now." Kol decided he needed to interject before this escalated. "No need to huff and puff and blow the house down."

"You know, it's funny how often a person's sharp tongue can end up cutting their own throat." Klaus narrowed his eyes at his brother, unamused with his idle prattle.

Cami's shoulders dropped. "Come on, Klaus. He's just a kid."

"Yeah, she's right." Kol puffed out his chest. "You know, you may want to try a bit of lavender under your pillow. Does wonders for stuck-up pillocks with anger issues."

Klaus took a few steps to meet his brother face to face, being sure to stare him down. "I promised not to kill Davina. I said nothing of this insolent sod."

"Give him a break." Cami spoke and was then met with Klaus' gruff reply.

"Could you ladies give us a few moments?" The hybrid kept his stare on Kol while Audrey and Cami slipped out of the cabin.

The latter of the pair paced back and forth, muttering on and on about how Davina needed to be taken to a hospital while Audrey rolled her blue eyes. She leaned herself against a column of the house, her arms crossed over her chest and she was just about to fall into a daydream when she felt a sudden change in the air. At first she thought it was nothing, but it was practically dragging her from the porch. She followed it blindly, ignoring Cami who had become outraged that no one was listening to her and the witch was now in the woods by the pickup truck they'd kept Mikael's body in.

Audrey's breath caught in her throat seeing a fresh bloody handprint smeared on the paint of the trunk door and she bit her bottom lip nervously. That mark wasn't there before. Cami continued to ramble and Audrey was now aware that Mikael had escaped not too long ago and was now on the hunt. While she didn't have the hearing of a vampire, she listened closely for any sounds that would alert her of his presence, but all she heard was Cami yammering on.

"And all of the sudden, you two came waltzing in like-"

"Be quiet." She told her firmly, but Cami would not be silenced.

"What did you just-"

"I said, be quiet!" She hissed, a hint of urgency in her voice now. Cami shrunk, noticing that something was not right and her eyes followed Audrey's until they landed on the hand print. She brought a hand to her mouth, muffling a horrified gasp. Audrey wanted to strangle Cami for talking Klaus into having a conscious and not daggering Mikael, but the past was in the past and right now they were dealing with the reality that the vampire who hunted vampires was out for blood.

Audrey then pressed her hand to the trunk, her fingers skimming the bloodied paint and her eyes rolled back inside their sockets before becoming black. In the vision she was seeing, all she could make out was a shape moving swiftly through the shadows. She squinted her eyes and the blurred pictures began to take form. Anguished groans fell heavily on her ears followed by the sickening sound of a body being torn. Bloodied hands gripped a sharp wooden object as they crunched through the brush. It seemed as if Mikael was on the move, but where had he gone and who had he planned to torment?

"He's...he's..." She stammered.

"Look out!" Cami shouted and tackled Audrey's body to the forest floor. She'd seen a shape in the distance and acted rather than thought about it. The two were ambushed by the very man they were looking for. Cami was thrown against the side of the truck and she felt a gust of wind hit her cheeks before realizing that Audrey had vanished along with Mikael. She staggered to stand upright and whirled around cautiously, as if expecting Mikael to swoop in out of nowhere. She felt a lump forming on the back of her head and winced when she pressed it. Gathering herself, she rushed back to the cabin and she prepared herself for Klaus' wrath once he'd learn of Audrey's disappearance.

* * *

"My poor boy," Esther tsked as she watched Elijah slip in and out of consciousness. "Such a sweet boy and to now see what you have become...I have failed you as a mother."

"Spare me your pity," he hushed, mustering enough strength to lift his head and look her in the eyes. "Why do you insist on changing us?"

Esther gently stroked her son's cheek, making Elijah recoil. "I have seen the error of my ways. After Henrick's death, your father and I wanted to keep our family safe and for us to always stay together. But, instead, we cursed you all."

"Let me go." He tested his chains.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Not until you see yourself for what you truly are."

"Let me go!" He stressed and Esther heaved a heavy sigh.

"Elijah, you have always been the most reasonable of my children, but I can see how time has changed that," she said sadly. "It all started with Tatia."

Elijah blanched, taken aback by the name of the very woman who was responsible for all of the trouble that had befallen the Mikaelson family. He hadn't heard her name in so long. She was Elijah's first love, the first woman he'd given his heart to. There were others over the years, but Tatia still often haunted him. The very image of her would sometimes slip into his dreams and she'd wander there until he'd fall into another dream.

"You killed her," he said quietly.

"I used her blood to bind the spell that suppressed Niklaus' werewolf aspect. But, by the time you brought her to me, she was already dead."

"What are you talking about?" Confusion painted his face. "You killed Tatia. I remember it clearly. I had found her in the woods and I couldn't control myself. I compelled her to forget what she'd seen in me and to run."

"You'd only been a vampire for a few days. You hadn't yet learned compulsion." Esther corrected him. "You knew how special she was! I always thought you would protect her. That she would be your wife, that one day I might call her daughter! Instead—"

"I didn't hurt her!" Elijah shouted over her.

"You've taught yourself to hide from who and what you are for a thousand years!"

Elijah yanked angrily at his chains. "I did not hurt Tatia! I could not!"

"But you did!" She took his face in her hands, pressing her thumbs against his temples and Elijah felt the vibrations inside his brain. "Oh, my beautiful boy. No more hiding. It is time, now, for you to remember it all."

 _Elijah was plunged headfirst into his memories and was suddenly drowning in them. He saw Tatia's fear stricken face before she whirled around on her heel and ran from him. He chased her, his speed ultimately catching up to hers and he stopped her. She tried to pry his grip off of her, but his strength had surpassed her own. She was so afraid; he could hear the hammering of her heart against her ribcage and the slightest scent of her blood was in the air. A bit of it soaked through the fabric of her dress, she must have cut herself when she ran, but the cause of the laceration did not concern Elijah. He was more entranced by the decadent smell of her blood and imagined how it would taste on his tongue._

"You didn't want to hurt her. You loved her. But you couldn't fight what you had become. What I had turned you into."

He could still remember his first taste of human blood. It was a memory he'd locked away, but now it was replaying over and over in his mind like a broken record. The puncturing of his teeth into her soft skin, the warm blood on his tongue, the lethargic beating of her heart. All of the sensations at once carried him away once he bit Tatia. He was a young vampire then and had not one bit of control, contrary to the vampire he had become.

"You're distorting my memories! It was you who killed Tatia! You can't rewrite history!"

"No, I cannot. And I did not. Not until I had your consent."

 _With a pulse of Esther's magic, Elijah was sent back into his past. He then saw himself carrying Tatia's body to the slaughterhouse where Esther was sharpening a knife to use for one of the fat pigs in the pen. When she looked up and noticed her son, she stood and backed away, frightened by the sight of him. Blood smeared his lips and chin and Tatia's body was cradled to his chest. Elijah looked as if he was ready to cry, so Esther approached him and gestured for him to hand over Tatia's corpse.  
_  
"When you became yourself again, you brought her to me. But, too late. I told you you were a good son, to let me take care of it. That I could help make it all go away."

 _Esther had taken Tatia's body inside the slaughterhouse and closed the blood stained door behind them, leaving Elijah to deal with his inner turmoil. He'd killed the woman who confessed her love for him just a few short nights ago. Never again would she kiss his lips or stroke his hair. Never again would he look into her eyes and call her his wife when they were wed. The young vampire sunk to his knees in the mud with his hands running frantically through his hair. What would the village say about her disappearance? The town was already on edge with the growing body count from Niklaus' outbursts. It wouldn't be long before they would suspect his family._

 _His mother had emerged from the slaughterhouse and knelt beside her broken boy. He was mumbling words Esther could not understand, but she could feel his pain and guilt radiating from his soul. She gently took his face in her hands, letting her thumbs erase the tracks his tears had made and she kissed his forehead gingerly._

 _"You will not suffer from this memory, or be tormented from the guilt of your misdeed. What goes behind that door shall stay there and be forgotten."  
_  
A clean slate, she'd thought to herself as she watched her son sway back and forth in his chains. That was a chance for Elijah to rebuild his understanding of vampires and controlling the beast inside him. Elijah hung lifelessly, tears burning his eyes as his true memories were played before him like a movie he couldn't take his eyes off of.

"I told you to clean yourself up. That if you were clean, no one would know what you are or what you'd done. And you did exactly that and more. You created a place in your mind to put your victims. You began to believe that as long as your suit was immaculate and your hands clean, you could look in the mirror and tell yourself it's all okay. No one need know what's behind that red door."

The red door, Elijah's nightmare from earlier. He could see the fear in Giuliana's eyes as she begged for mercy. He could feel her delicious blood sliding down his throat. She'd asked Elijah to come to New Orleans because she needed protection from Silas and he was all too happy to escort her. He made a promise to keep her safe and out of harm's way, but that was broken when she was turned by his blood. This time, he swore he would not slip.

"But, a thousand years is a long time, Elijah. And a place meant to hold one unforgivable sin is now full to bursting with your most monstrous deeds."

Elijah snapped, his anger and hatred towards his mother overwhelming him. He shook his chains, yanking them so hard the mausoleum trembled. "STOP!"

"How long before it's your beloved Giuliana's corpse behind that door?" She asked and like a snuffed out flame, Elijah's temper was stifled. In his nightmare he'd sucked her blood dry until her screams had muffled and her heart went silent. He was a creature of nature and he knew it.

"Stop." It came out as a desperate whimper as tears welled in his dark eyes.

"I see how much you love her. She is different from the women in your life. Giuliana shows a devotion to our family whereas the others wanted nothing but to stand apart from us." She said. "You must be afraid that her love for you will only destroy her. In fact, it already has. She is a vampire now, turned by your blood."

"I never intended for her to turn." He growled lowly.

"And you would have rather she died on that church altar?" She wondered, tilting her head to the side just slightly. "I implore you, my son. Take my offer. Both of you. In new bodies, you will be alive again; you could give her a child, to replace the one she lost."

"You will not break me," he sneered at her and Esther shook her head sadly.

"Oh, you are already broken, my dear boy, but not beyond repair. I am here to fix you. I am here to fix you all." She said.

* * *

Audrey strained at the tight ropes that bound her hands behind her back and she wriggled in the chair she was tied to, but Mikael's knots were strong. He watched her struggle, almost fighting the urge to chuckle in her face as he stood over her with the white oak stake in his hands. He'd taken her to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the Quarter in hopes of laying low for some time until Klaus would come looking for her.

Once she'd become tired, she fell slack against the chair and Mikael stepped closer. He hooked a finger in the collar of her shirt and pulled the fabric away from her skin. With an evil grin, he spied the scars along her chest that had roped across her skin like roots from a tree. It served as a reminder that he had been the one to send her to an early grave. She scowled up at him, her blue eye ablaze.

"Forever marked," he marveled.

The witch spat in his eye and Mikael recoiled from her. He wiped her saliva from his face and used the same hand to backhand her across the cheek. Her head jerked to the extreme left and she could taste blood in her mouth. It dribbled down the side of her lips, the very scent tempted Mikael to rip into her throat, but he promised himself he'd save her for last.

"Well, you and I both know it isn't a party until you're smacking someone around," she growled up at him. "At least that's what I've heard from the stories that your son would tell me about you."

"I didn't always hate him. When Klaus was born, I was overjoyed. I thought, "This one, this one has the eyes of a warrior. He will be worthy.""

Mikael then circled her chair like a shark who had found blood in the water. "But, my hope was short-lived. And, when I found out that he wasn't really my son, my relief was glorious. But that passed with the knowledge that he was begat of a beast."

"You blamed Klaus for everything that ever went wrong in your life when you should have blamed his mother. It's not his fault his mother slept around." Audrey spat.

Mikael lunged at her, his hand curling rigidly around her neck and he squeezed until he could feel her gasping for breath. "Everything that followed was because of Niklaus' obsession with the wolves! He ventured out to watch them turn under the full moon and he took my youngest son, Henrik. He was but a child, and he was torn apart."

Just when Audrey was certain Mikael's hold would cause her to asphyxiate, he released her roughly and she gulped in oxygen. "It was an accident." She panted.

"An accident?" Mikael suddenly flashed before her, his rage exploding from every cell in his body. "An accident?! He murdered my wife! His own mother! Who sought to cleanse him of his beast-like nature! He betrayed me. He turned my entire family against me! And yet, you defend him?!"

"You know I will!" Audrey hissed.

"A stupid choice that will end in your death." He leaned down and placed his hands on opposite sides of the chair, his face just inches from hers. "And I will be more than happy to let history repeat itself once more."

Audrey stuck out her chin and narrowed her blue eyes at him. Deep down, she was scared, but she wouldn't dare let it show on her face. Mikael smirked, amused that this little witch, a woman who had been killed by him once before was bravely staring death in the face.

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" She wondered. "How are you so sure that he will come for me?"

"Because you are nothing but a distraction to him. If he was smart, he'd have killed you a long time ago," Mikael spat.

"Then let Klaus come; I can't wait for him to finally put you to rest." She gritted her teeth, making Mikael's chest rumble with laughter.

"Such confidence. I'm afraid you might not be alive long enough to see it." His voice trailed off spying a thin droplet of blood that pooled at her bottom lip. Veins sprouted beneath his eyes and Audrey gulped anxiously. His fangs came forward, the sharp tips prickling his lips.

"Indulge me, my dear?" He asked.

"Do I have a choice?" She clenched her teeth tightly together.

* * *

Mikael gave a short chuckle and thrust his hand in her hair. He angled her head to the side, exposing her neck before plunging his teeth through her skin. To Audrey, there was no sense in fighting Mikael, it just wasn't a fair fight, so she allowed him to drink from her, but not without sending a message to Klaus. Her eyes turned black and she pushed her magic onto the Original hybrid before her entire world went dark.

"Ringing, ringing. Always ringing," Esther tutted and lifted Elijah's phone from the table. Her eyes smiled at the sight of the name that flashed across the screen. "Well, your little darling must be quite worried if she's called this many times."

"Don't you dare speak to her." Each word that fell from his lips was coated with threats.

"My dear boy, I only want to bring her some peace of mind." She answered the call and ignored the rattling of her son's heavy chains.

 _"Elijah?"_ Hope filled her voice.

"Not quite." She replied.

Giuliana had gone silent for a moment before finding her voice again. _"Esther."_

"You sound disappointed."

 _"Where is Elijah?"_

"I can assure you that he is safe," she proclaimed.

 _"Why is it that I don't believe you?"_

"See for yourself." Esther moved the phone by Elijah's ear and he cleared his throat before speaking.

"Giuliana."

Once again she was silenced, but he could hear how loudly her heart was beating through the ear piece. _"Elijah?! Oh my gosh! You're alive! Where are you?"_

Elijah could never answer her question. A powerful surge of Esther's magic racked his body with pain. He called out and rattled his restraints and through his anguish, he could hear Giuliana's frantic pleas. Esther took the phone back and stopped her magic, letting her son hang like a puppet on strings.

 _"Stop, stop! What are you doing to him?"_ Giuliana's growl made Esther smile.

"I'm fixing him."

 _"Let him go!"_ she commanded.

"I'm sorry, my dear. I can't do that just yet. He still has much more to learn." She turned on her heel and walked outside the mausoleum. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, the rays casting a warming glow over the tombstones. "When he is ready to be returned, he will come home."

 _"You're sick!"_ The vampire spat hatefully. _"You know he won't take you up on your deal to become reborn."_

"Are you so sure? After what's been revealed to him about his past, he's on shaky ground." Esther spoke. "I can help the both of you lead normal lives. You would be able to start a family, something you've always held close to your heart."

 _"Don't pretend like you know anything about what I want."_ Giuliana hissed. _"Besides, any child that was to come into the Mikaelson family would face death at your hands. Just like Klaus and Hayley's child."_

For the first time during their heated argument, Esther felt a cold hand grip her insides. If only Giuliana knew why Klaus' child had to die. She blinked back her thoughts and leaned against one of the larger tombstones. "That child...would have brought chaos among the factions."

 _"It was a baby!"_ She argued.

"Enough!" Esther cut her off. "Do not disturb us any longer. If you try to find Elijah, you both will meet a fate worse than death."

The Original witch left Giuliana with the dial tone in her ear and she pocketed Elijah's phone. She'd made her intentions clear and hoped that the young vampire would heed her warning. Esther sighed heavily and peered over at her son who was hanging limply, having slipped into unconsciousness again.

* * *

Klaus angrily brought the shaft of a shovel over his knee before barging inside the abandoned warehouse. He held the severed point at the level of his eye, ready for any attack that might come at him. Mikael had been kind enough to leave some droplets of Audrey's blood through the bayou, leading up to the warehouse. He followed it like a trail of breadcrumbs and was ready to finish this once and for all. Storming through the vacant rooms, a frantic heartbeat mixed with his heavy footfalls until he was face to face with Mikael. The two stood like statues while Mikael kept a weak Audrey held against him, her hopeful eyes finding Klaus when he entered the room.

"You're gonna pay for hurting her." Klaus pointed the sharp end of the shovel towards Mikael.

"Aw, how sweet. The cur whines for its bitch." Mikael dropped Audrey to the floor and she was barely able to brace herself because she was so weak. He brandished both Papa Tunde's blade and the white oak stake in his hands. "I'll be sure to drain the rest of her right in front of your eyes, just before you burn."

In a rage, Klaus lept through the air and tackled Mikael to the ground. The two grappled and wrestled with one another, each taking stabs with their weapons, but only scratching skin. Audrey struggled to her regain consciousness and scrapped up enough energy to at least peel her upper body off the ground just in time to see Mikael shove Klaus against the brick wall. He poised the stake at Klaus' chest, but he couldn't muster up enough strength to stab him. Mikael thrust his knee upwards, nailing Klaus in his gut and the hybrid's body bowed at the hit. With the shift in dominance, Mikael reared his arm back and prepared to end Klaus' life for good.

He was stopped mid-motion, however by a numbing sensation that took over his entire body. Klaus peered over Mikael's shoulder to see Audrey focusing her glowing red eyes on Mikael's back. Her hands were glowing as well and he could see her bite wound becoming pink with the promise of healing skin. Mikael then suddenly let out a loud howl as the numbing dissipated and it felt as if thousands of tiny knives were stabbing into his skin. She was chanting under her breath, siphoning his very blood source to her to make her heal. Klaus then took Mikael by his shoulders and tackled him through a brick wall on the opposite side of the warehouse.

They both tumbled into another room, leaving Audrey to channel her magic through the giant hole in the wall. Cement rained down upon them, the powder dusting their clothes like the first light snowfall of winter while the two grasped for the weapons that had fallen to the ground. Mikael was quicker, managing to toss the white oak stake from Klaus' reach, but he was also able to take up Papa Tunde's blade. He could still feel the remnants of Audrey's magic, so he figured he'd do Klaus one better. With incredible aim, he flung the blade in the air, over Klaus' shoulder. It passed through the hole in the brick and whizzed right towards Audrey, but she was too slow to stop it.

Her heart drummed in her chest and a gasp left her lips as she stared down the sharp blade just as it was stopped mere millimeters from her cornea. Klaus had zoomed away from Mikael and grasped the blade seconds before it would have killed Audrey on impact. Her gaze met his for a second and he flashed her a snarky smirk. She matched it, but it was quickly wiped away when Mikael had snuck up on Klaus. In one thrust, the hunter embedded the white oak stake in Klaus' chest. Klaus roared in agony and his skin began to desiccate before Audrey's horror-stricken eyes.

"NO!" The scream that left her lips echoed off the barren walls of the warehouse. She rushed to Klaus' side, but was quickly stopped by Mikael who had wound a hand in her hair. He yanked her close to him, but kept her facing Klaus and she could see his skin begin to turn a sickly grey. Veins crept along his neck and the sides of his face, a sure sign that his death was coming soon.

"You're a monster!" Audrey clawed at Mikael's fingers that were wrapped in her dark locks. She could feel her strands of hair tearing from her scalp.

"And you share a bed with one. What does that make you?" He jostled her roughly in his grip, making her slightly queasy. "Now you get to watch as he burns."

Tears streaked Audrey's reddened cheeks and she was limp in Mikael's hold. She fell to her knees, the cement scrapping her skin. Her heart ached as she watched Klaus die before her eyes. She never intended for this to happen. Maybe if she ran from the warehouse instead of stayed, Mikael wouldn't have used her as bait. Maybe Klaus would still be alive if she hadn't been there to distract him. Mikael was right; all she was, was a distraction.

"Why aren't you burning?!" Mikael's growl shook Audrey from her guilt trip. It was only until then when she realized that the stake had not burned like it should have done. She held her breath, a pang of hope filling her. "If you were dead, it would burn! Burn!"

Mikael was then suddenly aware of the magic that filled the warehouse and his heightened senses picked up the sounds of chanting from another room. He released Audrey and sped away, eager to find the witches who interfered with his plans. Audrey's gaze grew wider as she drew closer to Klaus' body and she very quickly understood that she had been given a chance to help him. Something was happening with the stake, but that wasn't her main concern. She just needed it out of his body before Mikael came back.

She leaned over his body and her hands closed around the stake. Taking a steadying breath, she yanked it upwards, but the wood hardly budged. She tried again and again, but the stake was so embedded in his chest that she gave a frustrated shout. She wiped her tears and sat up on her knees to give herself more leverage before gripping the stake again. She refused to give up on him, she'd be damned if she let him perish because of her. With all of her might, she pulled and tugged, and heaved, feeling it come loose.

Finally, the stake came free and she placed it beside her, hoping to keep it as far away from Mikael as possible. She watched in fascination as the grey coloring left his face and his chest began to move up and down with each breath that entered his lungs. The wound in chest healed very slowly, but Audrey took it as a sign of hope that he would come back from this.

"Look, I know you're enjoying a nice nap, but I need you to get up now." She nudge him, but he didn't move. "Come on. Wake up; Mikael is on a rampage."

Still nothing.

"Wake up!" She slammed her clenched fists down on his chest. Klaus' body suddenly arched and a large breath filled his lungs. Audrey jumped back and cursed him for scaring the life out of her. His eyes fluttered open and Audrey swore she was never so happy to see his haunting orbs then in that moment. He was still so weak that he could hardly keep his gaze in focus.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mikael's low rumbling growl shook the floor beneath her. She rose to her feet, taking the white oak stake in hand and pointed it at Mikael.

"Stay away from us, you son of a bitch!" She warned, her grip on the stake made her knuckles turn white. "Don't make me use this because I will!"

Mikael was amused by her bravery and took a few calculating steps towards her. "You have a warrior's heart. Perhaps I'll keep it as a souvenir."

In a blur, Mikael rushed towards Audrey, however he never made it to sink his teeth into her neck. Marcel had swung at him, nailing him in the jaw and he continued to use his fists against the Original. Mikael was temporarily stunned by the blows, but he'd hardly let a young vampire take him down. He was able to catch one of Marcel's arms and punch him so hard he tumbled to the ground. Marcel leaned up, ready to rise to his feet, but he was stopped when Mikael pressed Klaus' makeshift stake to his chest.

"Now, enough!" He hissed and stared down Marcel. "This night has been a long parade of fools. I'll enjoy killing every last one of you."

"Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it." Suddenly, a chain was wrapped around Mikael's neck from behind and it was pulled so tightly that he fell backwards. Hayley stood above him, a cinderblock attached to her chain. Klaus struggled to stand, but Audrey was quick to loop an arm under his shoulder to ease him up. Hayley gave Mikael a cheeky grin and smashed the cinderblock against his face before setting him loose.

Mikael moved to attack Hayley, but was stopped by the sound of sharp stakes whizzing through the air. One stake embedded itself in his shoulder and the other in his thigh. He whirled around to see Giuliana wielding more stakes, a wry grin painting her lips. She flipped one of the stakes in the air and caught it with grace as she stalked forward to Mikael who was yanking the stakes from his body.

"For a minute there, I thought I was too late to join the party." She smirked.

Marcel joined them along with Davina, the entire group crowded around the Original hunter and he knew that he was outdone. Granted, none of them could force him to submit individually, however they had strength in numbers. Mikael wiped the blood from his face and could feel little bits of cement stuck to his face from the cinderblock. Even though he had lost the battle today, he swore that he would not lose the war.

"It's over, Mikael," Klaus taunted. "You're outnumbered. Are you going to beg for your miserable life?"

Mikael laughed at the group of vampires surrounding him. "You think having people makes you strong? It proves how weak you are. Come find me when you don't have fools, women and children fighting your battles."

He tossed Giuliana's stakes at their feet and rushed from the warehouse to find a place to heal. The group looked around them, curious if Mikael was just playing them, but a few moments of silence lead them to believe that he had left them for now. Hayley, Marcel, and Giuliana took up their weapons and searched the warehouse before returning back to Klaus who was waiting anxiously.

"We'll check the surrounding areas," Hayley said.

"Yeah, knowing Mikael, he didn't go far," Marcel added.

"We'll be quick." Giuliana sent a cautious gaze to Audrey who was wobbling on her feet. The trio left the warehouse and Klaus gently took Audrey around the waist and led her to a set of cardboard boxes to sit up against. Her face and neck were swollen from Mikael's rough hands and Klaus felt anger well up inside him.

"He will die for hurting you," he promised, his eyes gleaming with hatred.

"That's the last time you listen to that blonde waitress," she grumbled weakly.

Klaus chuckled and gently took her face in his hands. His fingers probed the bite Mikael had given her and she sucked in a breath. He immediately removed his hands and looked apologetically at her. He cursed himself for being too late and now she'd have the scars to show for it.

"It doesn't look so bad. You've already begun to heal from siphoning Mikael's blood."

"It's fine." She pushed herself off the box and took a few steps away from him. He frowned deeply, upset by her mood.

"You pulled that stake out in the nick of time, love. A moment longer and I would have been done for."

"Don't you think I know that?" She finally turned to look at him and he could see fresh tears in her eyes. Klaus sighed and moved closer to her, but was quickly halted by a stinging sensation in his cheek. His head whipped to the side and he could feel his cheek heating up.

"You're so stupid," Audrey hissed in pain; her palm stung from slapping him.

"I'm stupid?" Klaus rubbed his reddened cheek.

"Yes, you are," she said. "You walked in here knowing that Mikael had the white oak stake; a weapon that means death for you and any vampire you've turned."

"And what would you have had me do instead? Leave you with Mikael? To fend for yourself? To die by his hands again?" He asked.

"Klaus, I watched you..." She swallowed her anger and pressed her hand to her chest. "I saw you die. I...I felt it. It was like I was dying with you. Because you tried to save me...you almost died."

There were times when he'd seen Audrey upset, but never quite like this. It was as if her anger and sadness had spiraled into a hurricane and she was powerless to control her emotions that were radiating from deep within her. She wiped away a stray tear and clenched her fists at her sides.

"Why did you come here when you know you could have died?" The question hung in the air and Klaus let it linger in the silence. "Why?"

"Because I had already lost you once and I refuse to let that happen again. Not by Mikael's hands or anyone else's," he said. "I will not let Mikael or Esther terrorize us any longer."

"I wish that were true." Giuliana's voice came forth from the shadow of the warehouse and her gaze passed between the pair. "Everything alright?"

Audrey nodded and wiped the wetness beneath her eyes. "Yes. I'll go wait in the car."

Klaus watched her walk away and he could feel Giuliana's curiosity about what they had spoken about, but he was not going to indulge her. "Find anything?"

"No," she shook her head. "Mikael's in hiding, but that's not who I'm worried about."

Wordlessly, he eyed her and she nervously rocked on the balls of her feet. She wanted to take matters into her own hands, but she knew that would mean walking into a death trap if she wasn't careful. Now she had to tell Klaus what she'd been fearing all along.

"Elijah is missing."

* * *

 _"No more," Elijah pleaded weakly. The hours he'd been hanging there stretched on into eternity and he couldn't stand it any longer._

 _"I'm afraid we've just begun. You will hang here, remembering. Every atrocity you've hid behind that door will emerge to haunt you. And, as you grow weaker, you will be ripped of your strength, your will, your hope," Esther explained to him. "And, as you rot here, alone, you will reconsider my offer. A new life. A way to be freed of your demons. A chance at peace."_

 _In the blink of an eye, a pair of fangs were embedded in Esther's neck and she called out for help, but an olive skinned hand pressed over her mouth. The vampire fed until Esther was unconscious and dropped the body to the floor. Giuliana let out a satisfied sigh and licked some of the blood that was smeared around her mouth. She stepped over Esther's still body and smiled to a very weak, but thankful Elijah._

 _"I know she's your mom, but man is she annoying." She grinned cutely. "I would have killed her, but she would have body jumped and we wouldn't want that."_

 _Giuliana's hand wrapped around Elijah's chains and she yanked them, but Esther's spell has prevented the chains from breaking by force. "How do I get these off?"_

 _Elijah gestured above him with his head and Hayley followed his eyes to see a doll hanging from the ceiling. "The doll, up there. Break it. She's using it to bind me."_

 _"Creepy." She shivered before jumping up and grabbing the doll. Once her feet touched the ground, she ripped the doll in half, severing the head from the body. She dropped the pieces to the floor and broke the chains that bound Elijah. He fell to his knees, barely catching himself and Giuliana knelt in front of him._

 _"What has she done to you?" Her question remained unanswered as Elijah tried to collect him. She had never seen him so drained and it hurt her deeply. "You need to feed."_

 _Elijah shook his head, the memories of his lack of control clouding his brain. He turned himself away from her, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop once he started. "I can't—"_

 _"You have to, Elijah. You're so weak." She begged and lifted her wrist to her mouth. She bit into it, creating two neat pinpricks in her skin and she offered it to Elijah who had only become more uneasy._

 _"I can't!" He shouted, his breath becoming labored at the very scent of her blood. "I crave you. My hunger, it could overwhelm me."_

 _Fear, it was a very foreign emotion to a vampire as old as Elijah, but tonight it reared its head and it scared him. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stop himself after tasting her blood. He was afraid he would kill her like he killed Tatia. He was afraid of having to hide another body behind the Red Door. His eyes darkened at the mere sight of the droplets of blood that seeped from Giuliana's wrist and he was certain he would die from the fear of losing her. Sensing his struggle, Giuliana wiped her wrist clean and gently took Elijah's face in her hands. Her thumbs brushed along his sweat soaked cheeks and she caressed him._

 _"Look at me." Her voice was soft and his worried gaze met her calm one. "I trust you. I am not afraid."_

 _It boggled Elijah's mind how a vampire who was barely a year old was able to look at him in this state and not be afraid of the consequences that faced them. Had it been anyone else to come to his rescue, he was sure they would have fled. Giuliana smiled warmly at him, bringing her face closer to his and she pressed her bloodstained lips against his. At first Elijah tensed, his first thought was to pull away, but the nearly dried blood on her lips was enough of a taste for him. Her fingers weaved into the wet hair at the back of his neck and his lips moved fluidly against hers._

 _He was quickly captured by her lips, her tongue, her teeth, but he wanted more. He needed more. Giuliana could feel the growl in his chest and she pulled away from him, her dark eyes meeting his own. She bit her bottom lip teasingly and she moved her hair off the side of her neck, offering it to him. The pulsing of her carotid artery made his mouth water and he licked his fangs with anticipation. He could have sworn he heard her lust filled plea, but his fangs had already embedded themselves in her neck._

Finn Mikaelson looked on in awe as he snapped in front of his brother's face, but received no reaction. Elijah continued to hang by his chains, eyes and mouth agape while Esther sat idly by.

"What'd you do to him?" Finn asked curiously as he waved his hand in front of Elijah's open, glassy eyes.

"I let him dream," Esther replied while nursing her cup of tea.

"That's...considerate of you," he said and patted Elijah's shoulder before joining his mother.

"I cannot lead him out of darkness by simply exposing him to the horrors of his past. I have to let him bask in his version of a better world to come." She took a long sip from her cup.

Elijah's lips twitched and Esther let herself weave a web inside his head. It seemed as though her darling son had forgotten the horrors he kept behind the Red Door, but she would not let that stop her. Now she would make him imagine his own horrors of the present and future. She would use an illusion of Giuliana to break him from the inside out. That would be the only way to make him listen and see the error of his ways.

 _A breathy moan left Giuliana's lips and she clutched onto the tatters of Elijah's shirt as he fed on her. Each pull of blood from her veins made him stronger he had now tugged her body closer to his. He stopped his feast for a moment, blood smearing his lips and Giuliana smirked up at him. She roughly dragged her nails down his muscled chest, making him hiss and growl longingly. She brought her bloodied fingers to her lips, tasting him and she moved impossibly closer to him._

 _"You want more." She stated and brought his lips back to her bitten neck. "Take."_

 _Ruthlessly, he chomped down on her flesh and she wound her arms around his strong back. She closed her eyes as Elijah fed from her and she purred in satisfaction that he'd soon drink her veins dry._

Esther backed away from her son's dreams, letting his own monsters take over from there and she put her hand over Finn's. "And by the time he wakes, he will know the only way to find peace is my way."

* * *

 **Man, Esther is a bitch! Poor Elijah :( So sorry it took so long to get this chapter out to you guys, but it's here :) Please review and let me know what you think!**

* * *

 **grapejuice101:** Thanks for reviewing! Hmm, interesting take on that. I think Marcel and Giuliana have a great friendship and in the next chapter they get to work together a little, so I'm excited to have you guys read it.

 **NicoleR85:** Thank you for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this new chapter :)

 **CarlyLynn:** Thanks for reviewing CarlyLynn! I really love Elijah and Giuliana's relationship and she will struggle quite a bit until he is home safe. She will also continue to have a difficult time seeing what Esther did to him. Enjoy this chapter!

 **BrittStar1199:** Here you go, Britt! Thanks for reviewing!

 **anne:** Here's your update!

 **Guest:** Hello there! I'm happy that you came across my stories and that you are enjoying reading them :) I think both ladies are good fits for Elijah and Klaus and I intend on keeping them in the stories, but you never know what the seasons will bring ;) Elijah and Giuliana have some time before they get together since they have a lot of obstacles to cross. I hope you enjoyed reading this new chapter!

 **piper:** Here's your update!

 **cory:** Here is your update!


	6. Wheel Inside the Wheel

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 6: Wheel Inside the Wheel**

 **Beta:** **PrincessOfSilence**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing of The Originals. I only own my characters and story.**

* * *

Giuliana's stomach churned sickly and she steeled herself as another scream echoed within the compound. She sat in an armchair against the wall, her fingernails between her teeth as Klaus interrogated yet another witch on Esther's whereabouts. He was in his drawing room while she waited for more information to be revealed, however this had been the fourth witch to be forcefully brought into the compound and none had given up anything. Her ears could pick up a disgruntled groan and the crunch of a heart being squeezed until the muscles collapsed. She swallowed the rising bile in her throat and willed herself to keep calm, but this waiting was driving her mad.

Esther's threat haunted her sleep and she hoped that Elijah was strong enough to endure whatever tortures she had in store for him. Just from their phone conversation days prior, she suspected Esther was trying to convince him to be reborn into a new body. Would Elijah break and take the deal? Would he really betray Klaus and his entire family for the chance to live a normal life? Her train of questions was derailed when Klaus emerged from his drawing room, covered in blood. Without a word, he stalked over to a standing sink and thrust his hands beneath the hot water. Giuliana could smell death wafting from the drawing room and she wrinkled her nose.

"Anything?" She had hoped he would have an answer for her.

"It turns out these witches are delicate creatures." He scrubbed his hands and let the blood swirl around the bowl of the sink before turning off the faucet. "No matter. I suspected my mother had Elijah captive, but none of the witches have been able to indulge me in where she is hiding."

Giuliana rose from her chair, excitement in her eyes. "Then, let's go find him and bring him home."

Klaus shook his head as he dried his hands. "Esther is too powerful; she won't be easily found. I need to draw her out."

"I'm not going to sit here and do nothing," she fought. "Let me come with you."

"I can't have you coming along with me. You said it yourself that my mother told you if you searched for Elijah that it wouldn't end well." He closed the door to the drawing room and passed her.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to change my shirt and then I'm going to find my brother." He smirked at her, but she zoomed to stand in front of him, blocking his path.

"Klaus...please." Her eyes were begging him to budge, but his mind had already been made up. He couldn't let anyone go with him, not even Audrey. He had yet to break that news to her.

"I know you want to help, Giuliana, but you can't," he sighed deeply. It had been the first time ever that Klaus actually approved of someone his brother had taken a liking to, which was why he wanted Giuliana to stay at the compound. He remembered what happened with the witches in St. Ann's. He could recall Elijah's broken expression so vividly that he could paint it with his eyes closed. Giuliana had been lucky to die with vampire blood in her, but Klaus knew that Esther would be tricky when targeting her, so it was best for everyone that he go alone.

"My mother has already warned you to not go looking for Elijah and when my mother makes a threat, it's best to heed it," he added and the young vampire stifled her protests.

"You take the fun out of everything, darling." Audrey slithered from the darkened doorway. She'd been listening the entire time. "At least let her take a crack at your mother; I know that I will."

"No, it's too dangerous." Klaus looked to her. "Which is why I plan to do this on my own."

Audrey seemed too stunned for words once Klaus' response was processed in her brain. She found it almost laughable at first that he would really go alone and leave her in compound to twiddle her thumbs, but judging by his serious demeanor, he wasn't joking. She crossed her arms over her chest and jutted out her hip, her lips pursed in contemplation.

"Oh really?" The witch raised her eyebrow at him and Giuliana shifted on her feet uncomfortably, knowing that the couple was going to argue over this point until they were both blue in the face and she didn't want to have any part in it.

"Uhm, I'm gonna go...you know, do something." She disappeared from the room, not wanting to listen in on their argument. As soon as the door shut, Klaus tried to explain himself, but Audrey was less than forgiving.

"I was going to tell you..."

"No need. I've received your message loud and clear." She narrowed her gaze at him. "I get in the way."

"That's not what I said," he growled.

"No, but you might as well have. I mean, after being snatched up by Mikael, you might as well lock me away."

In the blink of an eye, she was pressed to the bay window, Klaus' body trapping her there. His hands gripped her shoulders, holding her still and his gaze locked onto hers. Normally she wouldn't mind this sudden closeness, but she was angry at him for planning on seeing his mother without any kind of assistance. She was still shaken by the events that happened with Mikael, but she wouldn't let Klaus see that. She never wanted him to look at her and see someone weak and vulnerable, but Klaus' death scared her more than she cared to admit. Looking down at her now, he could see his own fears mirrored and he desperately tried to keep them hidden. Mikael had come too close to killing Audrey again and even though Klaus had sworn to never let it happen; it did and he hated himself for that.

"Don't test me, Audrey," he warned.

"It's what you want to do, isn't it? To keep me away from every threat that comes our way. To protect me like a porcelain doll?" She asked him. "I'm not a damsel in distress, Klaus. Don't treat me like one."

Klaus shrugged innocently. "I'm not. What you're failing to see is that I am trying to protect you."

"From your mother? I can handle her," she countered.

"Audrey, I refuse to have Mikael or Esther take anything else from me again. Including you." His breath ghosted over her cheeks. He stared into her eyes and he could see they were filled with an emotion he couldn't quite place. It was anger mixed with something else. He didn't want her getting hurt, he didn't know if he could bare that thought. He placed his hands gently, yet firmly on her shoulders and took a step back.

"This fight is between Esther and I; I intend to finish it." He added and he felt her tensed shoulders relax in his hold. He was somewhat taken aback by her sudden change of heart, but he took it in stride, not wanting to question it.

"Fine." She nodded slowly and took his hands in hers. "Go. Just be careful."

Klaus brought their joined hands up to his mouth, his lips brushing against the back of hers and he smiled warmly at her. He then sidestepped her and walked out of the room, exiting the compound. Audrey watched his car pull out of the driveway and she rolled her eyes once he was out of sight.

"He thinks he can keep me here? He's got another thing coming." She tsked and stormed downstairs where Hayley and Giuliana were speaking in the dining room.

"Conversation with Klaus go well?" Hayley asked, a sly grin on her lips.

"Very funny. I'm sure you were able to hear every word," the witch droned.

"Hey, I can relate." She held her hands up. "Picture me pregnant and Klaus not wanting me to take a walk around the block on my own."

"I remember." Audrey sighed. "I hate when he's like this."

"He just wants to look out for you." Giuliana spoke up. "Gotta give the guy some credit."

"What do you say we go on a little rescue mission?" The hybrid and vampire's heads were spinning at Audrey's sudden change in conversation. "Just us girls?"

Hayley and Giuliana looked skeptically at one another. They were both thinking of doing something to find Elijah, but neither of them actually voiced it. Before Giuliana could reply, her phone buzzed in her pocket and she checked the message. Audrey's blue eyes passed between the girls as she waited for them to say something, anything.

"Well, I was planning on going after Oliver. Word has spread through the Quarter that he is going to be executed for going against the wolves." Hayley said.

"I'm game." Audrey smiled and Hayley blanched, her eyes going wide at the very thought of going with the witch. "What about you Giuliana?"

"Cami needs me. Some big emergency." She'd received a very vague text message from Cami asking to meet at her uncle's apartment, but no other information was given. "Besides, Esther threatened me if I went after Elijah."

"Hmm," Audrey hummed softly before clapping her hands. "Shall we?" The witch pranced from the compound, leaving Hayley to roll her eyes.

"Can we please switch? I'll go to Cami's if you go with Klaus' little witch." She offered Giuliana who giggled, shaking her head.

"Come on. You two will be fine," the vampire replied.

Hayley huffed and stood from her seat, disdain all over her face. "I'd just rather do this on my own."

"You're just saying that because you want to meet Jackson again."

"Well...you're not wrong." Hayley smirked slyly. Jackson had been on her mind for a while now and she practically jumped at the opportunity to see him again, but she really did not want to bring Audrey along.

"Like I said, you'll be fine," Giuliana sighed. "Consider it time for you two to get to know each other better. Some girl-time."

* * *

"Girl-time, my ass." Hayley huffed under her breath. Audrey held up the rear while Hayley trudged through the very familiar grounds of the deep bayou. Neither of them had said a word to one another since they left the compound and Hayley preferred it that way. After all, she had given birth to Klaus' baby and now she was on a mission to find Oliver with Klaus' lover. Needless to say it was a pretty awkward situation for the both of them. Hayley just found it best to steer clear of Audrey to avoid situations like these, but the witch practically invited herself on this rescue mission.

"My gosh, someone's a worrier." Audrey's voice made the hybrid's ears perk up. She stopped her pace and turned over her shoulder.

"Excuse me?"

"I can feel it. Your muscles tensing," she replied.

Hayley just brushed her off and continued walking forward. "Well, I'm a tense person."

Audrey sighed and quickened her stride, catching up to Hayley. "I mean, I don't blame you. You have a lot to be tense about."

The hybrid stopped again, this time so sharply that Audrey almost smashed into her. "Look, let's just cut the small talk and find Oliver. Got it?"

Witch and hybrid were staring one another down before the latter backed off. Hayley knew this idea would be horrible, but she bit her tongue, whirled on her feet and stomped forward. The quicker she found the Alpha, the less time she'd have to spend with Audrey.

"Just trying to make some conversation." Audrey sang as she kept up with the hybrid.

"Well, don't. We'll find what we need a lot faster by not talking." Hayley then slowed herself and turned left, making her way through the thicker brush. "Can't you help find the Alpha? You've got witchy powers."

"I could, but my powers wouldn't do much good. Besides, you're the best person to find an Alpha. These are _your people_." The witch moved some tree branches that were in her way. "Just...follow your nose."

Hayley rolled her eyes at Audrey's lame attempt to make a joke. "I can see why you and Klaus get along so well."

"You have to admit, that was a little funny." The witch chuckled to herself.

The pair had come to a clearing the bayou and the surrounding sounds had suddenly become silent around them. Hayley's fists clenched by her side while Audrey wobbled on the uneven ground below her. Looking down at her feet, she could see the faint imprints of a boot in the drying mud. It must have been made recently, she thought and bent down to the print. She placed her hand on it, her fingers feeling the ribs of the bottom of the shoe and Hayley walked over to meet her.

"Find something?"

"A middle-aged male...he isn't traveling alone." Audrey focused on the energy she was receiving from whomever left the boot print. The visions were fleeting and fading, like how lightning flashes across the sky but quickly disappears.

"Is he a friend or...?"

Suddenly, a whoosh cut through the air like a knife and the girls ducked just as an arrow raced by them. The point embedded itself in the trunk of an old tree and a figure emerged from where the arrow was fired. It was the man Audrey had seen in her fractured visions and his very presence left even more mystery to him. In his hands, a heavy crossbow was aimed at the pair and he seemed torn as to who to attack first. His face was careworn, a slight dusting of grey in his hair and wrinkles on his skin, however his sharp blue eyes told a different story of wisdom through experience.

"Well, judging by the fact he tried to skewer us clearly makes him an enemy," Audrey said.

In seconds, he reloaded his crossbow with another arrow from his quiver, but before he could pull the trigger, the metal beneath his fingers grew warm. Audrey's eyes now had a dark red hue to them and the crossbow was suddenly locked, so even if he wanted to fire another shot at them, he couldn't. The arrow in the chamber snapped in half and the man growled low in his chest. Hayley crouched down, readying herself to leap at him and Audrey's glowing hands stood at the ready. The man removed a knife from the sheath by his leg and held it close to him.

"Stop!" A loud voice broke into the clearing and both parties heeded it. Hayley knew that voice and immediately whipped around to match it to a familiar face.

"Jackson?"

The wolf stepped out from the brush and smiled warmly at Hayley who tried her best to hide her excitement. Audrey's magic dissipated, her eyes and hands returning to their resting state. The man that tried to attack them sheathed his knife and stepped back from the women, closer to Jackson.

"I see you've met my friend Ansel." Jackson nodded to the man who had looked up from his broken crossbow.

"Oh...you mean the guy that was trying to kill us?" Audrey grumbled.

"You know them?" Ansel questioned.

"Yeah, actually. I do." Jackson nodded, his eyes on Hayley the entire time. "Hayley was supposed to be my wife."

* * *

"Woah...what is all of this stuff?" Giuliana asked in wonderment as she fought the urge to touch everything on the packed shelves of Father Kieran's apartment. Dusty books and artifacts of all sorts were squeezed tightly together, the bottom of the shelves could hardly be seen because of all of the contents resting on them.

"All of it belonged to my uncle," Cami replied. "I don't even know where to start."

"Okay, just take a deep breath." Marcel's calm voice did little to help Cami who was still shaking from her encounter. "Tell us what happened."

"I was at Rousseau's this afternoon having a drink when I saw my grad school adviser there, Vincent. So, we started talking and then he was asking questions about Klaus, of all people. And then he ordered my favorite drink like he's been watching me."

"Creepy." The female vampire shivered.

"I bet you want a new adviser right about now," Marcel said.

"Who is he, Marcel? I mean, really?" Cami asked.

Marcel sighed heavily. "Long story short is...impossible."

"Yeah...like really impossible." Giuliana added.

"I checked the school website. Vincent Griffith has no other academic credentials. And, according to my Uncle Kieran's big book of New Orleans's bloodlines, Griffith is a family of witches."

"Trust me, it gets much worse." Giuliana spoke. "Vincent isn't actually who he says he is. Sure, he's a witch, but he's got a thousand year old dead vampire inside of him. Finn Mikaelson."

"My adviser is _Klaus' brother_?!" Cami blanched, incapable to comprehend what Giuliana had told her. "Oh God! What? Then why was he talking to me of all people?"

Marcel shrugged his shoulders. "Probably to get the scoop on Klaus. Or maybe to use you as bait for a trap. I don't know; it doesn't matter. Either way, you're done with that guy."

Cami shook her head back and forth furiously. "Oh no. I'm just getting started."

* * *

"After Francesca Guerrera took over the wolves, she offered me a moonlight ring as long as I'd call her Alpha. I declined," Jackson explained. The four of them sat around a warm crackling fire under the clear black sky. Ansel was the furthest away from the group and was sharpening his knife since his crossbow was broken. Audrey curled her arms around her body, a chill in the air making goosebumps rise over her skin.

"So, a couple of her brothers dragged me out here and left me for dead. By the time I healed up, word had spread about what happened to you, and to your baby." He added.

Hayley's eyes met her feet and a frown painted her lips. Jackson didn't know that Hope was in hiding; only the Mikaelsons knew and as much as she wanted to keep it that way, she felt that Jackson had a right to know what really happened all those months ago.

"So, I knew it was over and I just drifted. That's when I met Ansel. See, he's been teaching me the old ways, the traditions. What it means to be a wolf," he said.

"You mean by living out in the ass-end of nowhere?" Hayley chuckled in an effort to break the awkward silence, but Ansel didn't look up from his knife.

"And trying to kill anything that moves?" Audrey narrowed her gaze at Ansel, but he was no amused by either comment.

"Hey, easy. Your kind makes him ornery." Jackson defended.

The witch clenched her fists and ground her teeth. "Look, I get Esther took one of your boys, but we're here to get him back. More so Hayley, I just came along because my boyfriend of an Original hybrid doesn't want me to get so much as a paper cut."

While her reply was not directed towards Ansel, he still shifted uneasily. He continued to fiddle with his knife, trying not to pay the conversation any mind. Audrey noticed his suddenly reprieve and eyed him curiously. Ansel was a strange character; she knew that even before meeting him. When she picked up his energy in the woods, she could hardly see him because of the shadows that had surrounded him. Hayley now stood from her trunk, looming over Jackson.

"Jack, whatever you and your friend think of me, my kind is the wolves." Hayley's frown grew deeper. "Even if they did pledge allegiance to a witch. All that means is they need an Alpha. Ollie needs one, too."

Jackson stood too. "Yeah, I heard about that. The thing is, Ollie betrayed me. He plotted with the Guerreras. He spilled his own people's blood."

"He was trying to make up for that." Hayley sighed.

"It doesn't matter. The witches have him—he's dead. Not that I care."

"You don't want to be the Alpha? Fine. I'll save Ollie myself." She turned on her heel and started to walk from the campfire, but Ansel packing up his gear made her shift uneasily. He slung his quiver of arrows on his back, sheathed his knife and took up his crossbow.

"Hey, you got a problem, old man?" She glared daggers at him.

"I have no love of vampires, but I will not allow a wolf to be killed by witches."

Hayley cast a glance at Jackson who was surprised by Ansel's decision. "At least someone is interested."

"Finally," Audrey rose from beside the fire and stretched her arms over her head. "I was getting antsy just sitting here on my ass."

* * *

 _"Whew!"_ Cami placed her drink down on the table with a clunk and was quick to refill it. _"So, how would you diagnose my friend Klaus, if I may ask?"_

 _"Well, he's clearly depressive. Low self-esteem, paranoia,"_ Finn chuckled. _"Impulse control. Wouldn't you agree?"_

"Marcel, why do we think we can do this?" Giuliana whispered to him. "We're amateurs."

"Come on." He chuckled. "Don't tell me your transition to a vampire means you lost your optimism."

"I'm not trying to be a pessimist, but we're dealing with a thousand year old vampire who is in the body of a witch," she pointed out. "We're kind of going up against the impossible."

The pair pressed themselves close to the back door of Rousseau's and listened in on the conversation between Cami and Finn. Ignoring Marcel's warnings, Cami had come up with a plan to try and found out Finn's real motive and the vampire decided to enlist Giuliana's help. The bar was awfully crowded for a Saturday night and the extra noise made it difficult for them to eavesdrop, but by staying by the back door, they could swoop in if things got really bad, really fast.

 _"A lot of it is beyond me. Too much history...I don't know, like all the stuff with his siblings."_ Cami continued. _"You know, the resentment. How do you manage it?"_

 _"I beg your pardon?"_ Finn asked, confusion laced in his voice.

"Dammit. She's gonna blow it." Giuliana smacked a hand to her forehead.

"Relax." Marcel cooed.

 _"In, uh, one of our first sessions, you mentioned that you don't get along very well with your brothers."_ Cami hoped her quick thinking would be enough to throw Finn off her scent. _"Do you stay in touch with them?"_ She asked.

 _"In a manner of speaking; we're not particularly close._ " Finn replied, seeming to be quelled by Cami's response.

"Hey," Gia crept closer to Marcel and Giuliana. "Anything yet?"

"No," Marcel replied. "Make sure your post stays clear."

"Sure." She nodded.

"Just don't try to compel anyone." Giuliana smirked and Gia flipped her off with a teasing grin before returning back to the side alleyway of the bar.

 _"And your parents, are they still around?"_ Cami's next question left Finn silent once again and Marcel frowned. _"Am I prying? I'm totally prying."_ The blonde laughed uncomfortably.

 _"All this talk about my family, when you so recently scolded me about boundaries."_ Finn sounded less than pleased.

 _"Just searching for coping methods. Trying to learn from the master."_ She giggled nervously.

 _"Oh, is that so?"_

"Crap! She's a sitting duck!" Giuliana hushed and moved for the door. "I'm going in there."

"Giuliana, wait!" Marcel gripped onto her arm in an effort to stop her.

"I can't leave her in there." With her free arm, she opened up the back door when the two felt a shadow creeping up behind them. They whipped around and were greeted by the stench of wolf wafting in the air and stepped away from him, letting the door fall shut.

"You must be lost. Vampires caught in the Quarter are to be killed on sight." He growled at them. Marcel stepped in front of Giuliana, gently shooing her away.

"Marcel..." She knew what he was going to tell her, but she didn't want to hear it.

"Go. Run," he said to her. "As fast as you can."

"But—" Giuliana was cut off by the wolf lunging for her, but Marcel was quicker. Both men tumbled to the ground, wrestling one another for dominance. The female vampire did what Marcel had told her and ran, even though she doubted every single step she took.

* * *

"Go with Ansel, they said," Audrey huffed under her breath. She crept behind a large crypt and stayed low to the ground, stifling a giggle as the high grass tickled her knees. "It will be fun, they said."

The four of them had entered the cemetery and it was Ansel's idea to split up once inside. Hayley and a hesitant Jackson were a pair while Ansel was with Audrey. The grounds were eerily silent and it made Audrey shiver. She listened for Klaus' voice and could not find him, but perhaps her magic could find him. Ansel had not joined her yet, but it wasn't like she missed his company. Shaking her head clear of the mysterious man, she placed her hand on the cold stone wall and let her magic do the work. Her eyes remained fixed black orbs while her aura weaved in between the tombstones and mausoleums. She could hear a very low heartbeat drumming in her ears, so she followed it until it led her to the open grate of a crypt. Her aura stepped inside and was nearly shocked back to her physical body seeing Elijah's unconscious form hanging in chains.

Her black irises were hardly clear before she hit the ground running. She followed the path her aura made clear for her and soon she was in the very same crypt where Elijah was. His eyes were open, staring at nothing and they were almost lifeless inside. She would make jokes about how Elijah could be as dull as dishwater, but seeing him in this state was frightening. Her eyes followed the links upward to see a doll sitting at the top of them, no doubt a charm to keep him there.

"Oh my god..."

"Don't be alarmed. He is simply dreaming." A cryptic reply made the witch whirl around in a panic.

"Esther."

"I figured you would find him soon enough," she said. "Now, I told Niklaus that I will return Elijah to him when the time is right, but Niklaus is still learning about his past. He should be joining us shortly."

Audrey's steely gaze hardened. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing that he won't recover from." She shrugged and tilted her head to the side. "I wonder...I'm sure my son has told you that I am evil, but yet, here you are against his wishes."

The witch's shoulders deflated and a frown tugged at her lips. "But, I—"

"A brave girl. Perhaps that is why Niklaus is so taken with you." Esther smiled warmly.

"Thank you for that little nugget of wisdom, but we're leaving now." Audrey turned back around to Elijah and reached for his chains. A bright spark emitted from the links and Audrey drew her hands back as if she placed them on a hot stove. She could feel the skin on her hands burning and she clutched them close to her chest.

"Bitch..." She muttered as she used her magic to heal her blistering skin.

"I've been called far worse." Esther assured her, earning a glare from Audrey. "I do not wish to fight within my family any longer. I want nothing more than to bring everyone together."

"Don't you get it? No one wants a part of your deal."

"Give them time, they will change their minds. Elijah has already begun to see the light." She looked to her sleeping son in adoration. "It's a shame that such good children have grown to be monsters."

While she spoke, Audrey kept her glowing hands by her sides. She needed to get Elijah home, preferably before Klaus showed up because she knew he would have her head if he saw her out and about. She'd explain her later, of course, but for right now she needed to work quickly. Esther was the oldest witch in creation and Audrey knew not to underestimate her power, but with her back turned, it made for an easy target. Audrey clenched her fists and shot two glowing orbs at Esther, but they were quickly deflected in a blinding light and a force so strong that it knocked Audrey out of the mausoleum. She tumbled over herself, her open skin scraping against the ground and she finally stopped when her body smacked into a tombstone. She growled low and settled herself on her hands and knees, her breath coming out in labored pants.

"Oh, no. We won't be having any of that." Esther joined her outside in the open air.

Audrey shakily climbed to her feet and dusted herself off. "That was a good trick. I've got some up my sleeve too."

Just as she lifted her glowing hands, she was swept off her feet and pinned to the outside of a mausoleum with a strong hand around her neck. Klaus' angry eyes stared her down and she could feel his energy as he pressed his body against hers. Esther had vanished and now only Audrey would be there to take the brunt of Klaus' rage. She was internally kicking herself; knowing before she left that Klaus would find out eventually, but she couldn't sit back and let Esther run the show.

"Was I not clear of my instructions this morning?" He growled.

Audrey's reply was cut off by the sound of an arrow being released from it's bow and Klaus had barely caught it in his opposite hand. The witch could see Ansel advancing on them, another arrow already drawn and loaded, but what she couldn't see was the shock and fear in Klaus' gaze.

"Unhand her!" Ansel's voice boomed, but as he drew closer, his threatening demeanor changed drastically. His shoulders slumped and he brought his weapon down to his side.

"You." Klaus hushed before removing his hand from Audrey. She held her neck, but kept herself pressed to the mausoleum, unsure of what to make of the staring contest between the two men.

"Niklaus?" Ansel raised an eyebrow.

The hybrid was panicking now, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "No, no! You're not real!"

"Niklaus!"

"No! You're a phantom, conjured by Esther, that's all that you are!" He roared then stomped past Ansel who rushed to Audrey, but she waved him away from her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She sighed, prodding her neck. Ansel stepped back from her, but she gripped his wrist tightly. She fell deep into his memories which were clouded in shadows. She saw flashes of his life, of Esther, of him receiving the news of the birth of his baby boy and ultimately his death by Mikael's hands. Audrey drew away from Ansel as if she'd been shocked by lightning and she stared upon the face of Klaus' real father.

"Mother! Stop this charade! I know that thing is not real!" Klaus shouted into the darkness, but Esther did not answer him.

"Look at me, Niklaus." Ansel commanded and Klaus slowly turned to face him with a fear in his eyes that Audrey had never seen before. "I am flesh and blood. Your flesh and blood."

"You've been dead a thousand years!"

"And through that time, I lingered on the Other Side, watching you let the world fall apart, until I woke, four moons past, in the land of wolves like myself."

"Lies!" He hissed. "I refuse to believe them!"

"Klaus," Audrey called to him softly. "He's telling the truth."

Anger flooded Klaus like wildfire. It seemed to him that Audrey had been tainted by Esther's lies and he would not stand for it. He was already upset enough that Audrey disobeyed him. He strode towards her, rage in his eyes, but halted his steps when Ansel drew his sword and gently nudged Audrey behind him.

"You will not touch her." Ansel warned, the tip of his sword dangerously close to Klaus' chest.

"Step aside, old man." Klaus growled.

"I expected more from you. However I am not surprised that Mikael never taught you manners when it comes to women."

"You're just in my head!" He pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're an illusion, meant by my mother to sway me to accept her bargain!"

Ansel shook his head and lowered his weapon, but still kept his stance. "I do not speak for Esther. I know nothing of her bargains, but you are my son."

"And, if what you say is real, you are nothing to me. For all I care, you can crawl back to hell." In seconds, Klaus disappeared, a gust of wind in his wake. Ansel sheathed his sword, hurt playing over his features. Audrey stood stone still for a few moments, still unsure of the events that played out really happened. She touched her neck again, her fingertips skimming over the bruises that had begun to form there.

"I'm sorry he hurt you." Ansel's voice woke her from her thoughts.

"He didn't mean it. He was angry," she said. "I should have listened to him."

"That is no excuse," he replied gruffly and she knew it. She stepped closer to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and he looked to her.

"Thank you." She gave him a smile, warm smile and Ansel returned it. Not wanting to be in the cemetery anymore, Audrey nodded to Ansel before turning on her heel and leaving. As Ansel watched her go, his gaze shifted between her and the opposite direction Klaus has gone in. He watched his son for a long time from the Other Side and never had seen his Klaus care for a woman as much as he did Audrey. He hoped deep down that Klaus would not let her walk out of his life as easily as she left Lafayette cemetery.

* * *

Marcel's body crashed into the wall of the alleyway and he let out another loud groan. He'd been fighting a losing battle with the wolf who was now looming over him. Marcel did well for himself, however he managed to get bitten and that only slowed him down. He tried to get up quickly, but the wolf was quicker, delivering a hard kick to his ribs. They snapped and cracked, making Marcel wince in pain. The wolf bared his sharp teeth and bent down to bite Marcel again, but he was knocked in side of the head with a lead pipe and he fell to the floor with a clunk.

Marcel's look of surprise made Giuliana smirk at him, but it wasn't long before the wolf was back on his feet again. She lunged at the wolf, swinging the pipe at him and managed to clip his side. Becoming enraged, the wolf growled and his nostrils flared before he charged Giuliana so hard that she crashed to the ground. The beast sat atop her thrashing his fangs anywhere he could break skin, but Giuliana was resilient. She whacked him with the pipe a few times while dodging his lethal bite. The vampire then hooked her legs around the wolf's waist and propelled him over her and into the window of a parked car. Glass shattered, making a plinking noise along the concrete.

Giuliana got up, strode to the wolf and prepared herself to rip his heart out like Elijah taught her, but the wolf wasn't finished with her just yet. As soon as her hand punctured his chest, he bent down and buried his teeth into her forearm. Giuliana yelped, instantly feeling the venom become injected into her veins, but she held tight to the wolf's heart before ripping it out. His body collapsed in a heap onto the floor and Giuliana removed her bloodied hand from his chest. Her skin glistened from the street light above her head and she found herself entranced by it. The blood felt warm and comforting, like an embrace on a winter evening. She rubbed her fingers together, relishing in the soft feel of it against her skin.

However her enjoyment was cut short when her arm throbbed with pain and a moan left her lips. Marcel was slow to join her, his own bite wound pulsing angrily on the side of his neck. He looked to the young vampire who was examining her arm and cringing at the black veins that surrounded the broken and bleeding skin.

"Man, that hurt like a mother," she groaned.

"I thought I told you to run." Marcel's tone was laced with disappointment.

"Please, like I'd leave you alone?" Giuliana grinned knowingly at him. "And besides, that wolf was kicking your ass. You needed my help."

Marcel let out a chuckle and flashed his bright smile. "Come on. I've got the perfect remedy for us."

"That remedy better be a stiff drink."

* * *

Hello all! Sorry for the late update, but I was playing in the most magical place on Earth :) It looks as if Klaus and Audrey are at odds and Elijah is finally back home. Please give some love to this story. Much love 3

* * *

 **Guest:** Thank you so much for reviewing! I do plan on following the shows events because it acts as a framework for my writing. I will try to deviate from the show slightly, however I often stray away from that because I like to see how the show itself plays out.

 **NicoleR85:** Thanks so much for reviewing!

 **BrittStar1199:** Here's an update for you! Thank you very much for reviewing :) I've got some smut planned here and there for our two OCs and their respective love interests. Don't worry, it's coming ;)

 **CarlyLynn:** Thanks for reviewing my friend! I do feel terrible for Elijah when Esther tortures him :( Giuliana will certainly try to help him in her own way, but she will soon realize that Esther's magic is hard to combat.

 **Cory:** Here is your update :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	7. Chasing the Devil's Tail

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 7: Chasing the Devil's Tail**

 **Beta:** **PrincessOfSilence**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing of The Originals. I only own my characters and story.**

* * *

"You shouldn't be in here." Audrey murmured in her trance-like state. Even while chanting and performing her magic, she could sense Klaus' presence in the doorframe. She felt him pacing back and forth downstairs, debating on whether to intervene, and she had wished he would have remained in the parlor. The two hadn't spoken since they returned from the cemetery.

"How is he?" Klaus asked from his shadow in the doorframe.

"Weak," she replied simply. "His mind is practically a series of overwhelming nightmares. Where one ends, another begins and he can't find a way to escape them."

"Is there a way you can enter his thoughts?"

"Don't you think I've tried?" Now she lifted her head for him to see the look of disdain etched on her face. "Esther has locked me out. I can only see what is being projected in his mind. It's not pretty."

Klaus moved out of the doorframe and closer to the bed, gazing upon his fragile brother. After closer examination, Klaus could see a rash-like wound along the side of Elijah's neck. The reddened patches of skin resembled the petals of a flower that Klaus knew all too well. He reached his hand out to touch to wound, but was nudged back by Audrey's magic.

"He needs to rest." She stood slowly.

"That mark...I haven't seen this since I was a child." He hushed. "Mikael would return home from battle more blindly temperamental than usual, and our mother would use the petals of a rare merlock orchid to put him to sleep. She would mend his mind with a spell, and then wake him with the roots of the same plant. If she has access to it now, then maybe it also grows in the bayou."

Audrey remained silent, her eyes glued to Elijah's form. She watched as his sweat soaked body tensed again; he was having another nightmare. His fists clenched by his sides and he gave a pained moan. His head twitched back and forth on the pillow and the veins in his neck pulsed angrily. She was so enraptured by Elijah's agony, that she almost didn't feel Klaus' eyes on her, however she did feel his fingers reaching to tuck a lock of raven hair behind her ear. She flinched as if his touch held lightning bolts and put distance between them.

"Don't touch me." Her neck ached from the vice grip he had on her and even in the dim light of Elijah's room, Klaus could see her skin starting to discolor.

"What happened tonight..." He was grasping for words, unaware of what he had done until the bruises began to show. "I was not myself."

"Leave." She didn't want to hear him speak apologies to her. "Now."

"Audrey..." All it took was one step for him to suddenly be crumpled on his knees. His hands gripped the sides of his head, hoping to keep it from splitting open at the intense pain that surged through his skull. The witch looked down upon him, a burning fire in her eyes.

"Your excuses mean nothing to me. I don't want to hear them." Her voice rumbled like thunder in the distance. "My loyalty to you and your family knows no bounds. I've been tested and succeeded many times yet you have to audacity to question where I stand."

With a wave of her fingertips, the pain increased ten-fold and Klaus let out a loud groan. Dark red trickles of blood fell from his eyes and nose. He groveled and sniveled at her feet as if trying to beg her to stop the onslaught of agony she released on him, but she was unyielding. Then another powerful wave hit him, nearly knocking him unconscious if he wasn't an Original.

"Y-Y-You...ventured into the bayou and then to the...cemetery to battle my mother for...Elijah." He gritted and peered up at her. "You c-could have been...killed."

"I am not a bird to be locked in a cage, Klaus." She told him and brought her open palms to rest above his head. A sickening crack filled the room as Klaus' back arched at an ungodly angle; he shouted as his arms and legs snapped as well. The glowing amber in his eyes and his emerging fangs were reminiscent of his wolf form which Audrey had forced him to shift into, however she paused the transformation midway, causing significant damage to his body.

"S-Stop!" He pleaded.

"You will never hurt me again." Tears stung her blue eyes, but she pushed them back. She hated seeing Klaus like this, but he needed to understand that she was not against him. She was an ally, a partner, a lover. She was not his enemy and never would be. Sensing he'd had enough, she cut her magic and watched him fall to his hands and knees, panting heavily. His body went back to normal, but the memory of her power would stay with him forever.

"Leave." She turned her back to him and knelt by Elijah's bedside once more. Without another word, Klaus sped from the room, leaving a gust of wind in his wake.

* * *

Hayley, Josh, Marcel and Giuliana stood around the island at Marcel's place while Aiden smoothed out a map of the city on the wooden surface. In a desperate plan to take down Esther's son, Cami wanted to orchestrate a plan to meet Finn at a location and bombard him until he was powerless. It would be difficult, but all of them were willing to try and neutralize Finn. Aiden was discussing possible location spots with Marcel when Giuliana caught Josh staring longingly at the wolf. She stifled a smile, remembering how she would look upon boys of age in her village, especially when Elijah arrived to meet with her family. She could recall the feeling of the air being pulled from her lungs and her heart pounding in her ears when she first laid eyes on him.

Stealing a glance down at her phone, she frowned seeing no news from Audrey about an improvement of Elijah's state. Part of her was relieved that he was home, but his nightmare driven slumber only added to her worry. Would he awaken to be the same person? Or will have Esther's dark magic have changed his mind about being reborn as a witch so the family could be whole again? These questions and more only clouded her mind and seeing him since Esther released him nearly made her burst into tears. She watched him for some time, flinching when his body trembled and his lips murmured unintelligible words. How could a mother do this to her own child?

"Cami said Vincent wants to meet at Preservation Hall. But, he won't be unprotected," Aiden's soft voice woke her from her internal war and the group all drew closer around the map. He pointed to a few alleyways near Preservation Hall that could possibly be detrimental to their plan being carried out successfully.

"There will be wolves positioned here and here." He pointed to two areas where Vincent would keep his wolves.

"Can we keep this alley open?" Marcel pointed to a spot on the map and Aiden nodded.

"Alright, I'll wait there and rip Vincent's head off," Hayley said.

"Wait a second guys," Giuliana interrupted. "Vincent can body jump into anyone he wants and, no offense, I really don't want to have a Mikaelson in me."

Hayley raised her eyebrows at the newbie vampire's remark while Josh was stifling giggles behind his hand. Even Marcel was smirking; however, Aiden was unsure of what the three of them were laughing about. He smiled uncomfortably while looking at Giuliana whose forehead had become creased.

"Yeah, not _that_ Mikaelson," Josh finally composed himself to speak.

Realizing she'd just walked into a sexual innuendo concerning the Mikaelsons, Giuliana's cheeks flushed bright red, causing the trio to snicker and bump elbows with one another. Even Aiden chuckled too without fully being aware of the situation.

"I...I didn't mean it like that," she stammered.

"Jeez, get your mind out of the gutter," Hayley added, trying to snuff out her giggles.

"Stop that." The female vampire blushed bright red. "What I meant to say was that Vincent's head needs to stay on."

"Agreed." All of them turned to see Cami enter the apartment carrying a large cardboard box which she then placed on top of the map. "He'll have a hard time answering questions without it."

"Sweet, it's a big box of dusty old junk. We're saved!" Josh cawed sarcastically.

"What's all this?" Hayley opened the box and the group peered inside it.

"They're dark objects my uncle left for me. I've been cataloging them according to Kieran's notes," Cami explained as she took some of the objects out from the box and put them on the island. There were an assortment of stakes, daggers, bracelets and rosary beads that neither of the vampires wanted to touch.

"As far as I can tell, these can be used against witches specifically," Cami added as she held up a pair of shackles that were attached with a chain between them.

"Kinky." Hayley smirked and Josh laughed.

"Really?" Giuliana smacked his shoulder. "And I was made fun of for that Mikaelson slip?"

"Well, you fell right into that one." Josh snorted.

"Gee, thanks." She rolled her eyes.

Cami glanced between the giggling vampire and hybrid. "Did I miss something?"

"Ignore them." Marcel smiled and grasped the shackles. "Ah, I remember these! A hundred years ago, the Human Faction waged a war against the Voodoo Queens. They had a traitor spell these manacles. Slap 'em on a witch, they can't do magic as long as they're on."

Giuliana gestured for Marcel to hand them to her, which he did and she weighed them in her hands. "Sounds easy enough."

"Alright, we're not gonna get the "Handcuffs of Doom" on him while he's surrounded by a werewolf entourage." Josh pointed out.

"We can just lure him away," Aiden spoke up. "I can do that."

"Yeah," Giuliana nodded. "Then Hayley, Josh, Marcel and I can take it from there."

"Cami, if we do this, you're the bait." Hayley warned. "Are you sure you're okay with that?"

The group waited with bated breath to hear Cami's response. The blonde's blue eyes shifted to each person in the room. Some she knew well and some were new faces. Taking down Vincent wouldn't be easy and everyone would have to work together in order for the plan to work. She straightened herself and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Make it look convincing. The guy's really smart."

* * *

Audrey hissed and drew her hands back from Elijah's forehead as she was forcefully shoved from the confines of his nightmares. She rested her arms by her side and let out a sigh. She'd been working tirelessly to try and break whatever spell was torturing him, but Esther's magic had prevailed each time. Audrey massaged her hands and winced at the aches that pained her. She was unsure of how many more times she could continue to push herself, but she didn't want to see Elijah motionless anymore. If Esther's hold wasn't as strong, she could at least get inside Elijah's mind and expel some of the dark magic.

Audrey's blue eyes suddenly widened and she peered down to Elijah once more. Maybe she had been going about this the wrong way. Esther was the one that had put the spell on Elijah, so perhaps if she had become weakened, her magic would dissipate just long enough to make a crack in the surface of the spell. It would be risky, but Audrey secretly reveled in the idea of knocking Esther off her incredibly high horse. The witch straightened her back and let her eyelids fall closed. Using the connection between Elijah and Esther, she followed the spell's tether right to the cemetery.

The aura moved through the tombstones and dying flowers until zeroing in on an exact location. Inside one of the mausoleums, Esther and Finn were gathered around a table. The topic of their conversation wasn't what Audrey wanted to hear, so she let her aura suspend itself, invisible to them both. It drew closer to Esther, hovering just in front of her face before rearing back and pushing inside her mind. She tumbled to the floor and Finn immediately went to her side. His panic rose when he saw her eyes turn black and he tried to figure out what had happened to her.

Back in the compound, Audrey's eyes opened and she gripped the sides of Elijah's head. She didn't have much time before Esther would come too and realize another witch had attacked her. Being in Elijah's mind was like falling down a rabbit hole. Down she fell through the darkness until she found herself in a forest shrouded in night. A low roll of thunder was accompanied by flashes of lightening in the distance. The dry leaves crunched beneath Audrey's feet as she wandered aimlessly, unsure of why she had come here, but her questions would soon be answered.

A young boy, no older than thirteen had come into the clearing where Audrey stood, however he was too focused on looking for someone or something that he hardly saw her there. He was dressed in a long tunic with pants underneath and worn shoes on his feet. Attached at his hip by a belt was a small hatchet that glinted in the moonlight. His deep brown eyes whirled around the woods and he called out once more.

"Klaus?" He received no response, only his own echo. "Niklaus?"

The snap of a fallen stick nearby caused the boy to become startled and he was now aware that he was not alone in the woods. He stared at the tall woman with dark hair in the clearing. Judging by her unfamiliar face and odd clothing, he figured she was perhaps lost or from another village. Audrey stood speechless in her spot as she watched a young Elijah come closer to her. It was so odd to see him like this, so human. No fancy suits or expensive ties or creased pocket squares. Just human. She offered him a friendly smile.

"Hello Elijah." She greeted him and his eyebrows furrowed.

"How do you know my name?"

"I'm here to help you. Are you lost?" Her question made Elijah frown and turn over his shoulders a couple of times.

"I...yes, I am lost." He shuffled his feet. "I was playing with my brother and-"

"There you are." A deeper voice emerged from within the thick brush and Audrey whipped around to see a grown-up Elijah standing opposite them. A crack of lightening flashed across the sky, illuminating his bloodied face and suit. Audrey stood tall as he drew closer to them. The boy was nearly cowering by the time his older self had met his newfound friend, but he still managed to keep his shaking hand on the axe at his waist.

"Is this what you've become?" Audrey asked the man in the suit. "Your mother is controlling you. You're blinded by her."

"On the contrary, Audrey," Elijah smoothed out his blood stained tie. "I see quite clearly now."

Another smack of thunder made the boy jump, but Audrey remained still as stone. She could feel her powers surging through her as she braced herself for an attack from Elijah who seemed all too cool. Just behind him, however, she caught the sight of Esther just a few feet away. She looked less than pleased after feeling the disturbance from inside Elijah's mind, but she was not surprised that Audrey had been the one to worm her way around her spell.

"You're a smart little witch bitch," Esther snarled.

"This is over, Esther." The younger witch proclaimed. "Give up now."

Esther lifted her hands in the air and the winds in the forest picked up. It rattled the branches in the trees and danced leaves off the Earth. She would not be beaten by another witch; no. Her plans were already in place and she could not afford any mishaps. She would have her family intact and she would stop at nothing for her wish to be completed.

"Finish her," she commanded and Elijah lunged through the air, but Audrey's glowing red hands held him still. His knees buckled and he struggled to keep his body upright despite the incredible amount of force she was placing on him. He clenched his teeth hard, hissing and glaring at Audrey.

"In here you're her puppet and nothing more," she said. "Force her out. She has no control over you anymore, Elijah."

"Enough! Kill her, now!" Esther growled to her son before waving her hand at Audrey. The young witch flew backwards, smashing into the thick trunk of a tree. Elijah then surged forward, pinning her body to the bark and biting hard into her neck.

Audrey's nails scratched at his hands and she kicked beneath him, but his hold on her was one of steel. Her eyes darted around for the young boy, but the clearing was empty. Even the materialization of Esther had vanished. Coming into Elijah's mind had backfired; he was too far gone even for her to save. Audrey felt the blood leave her body as she tried tirelessly to heave the vampire off her.

The vice grip of Elijah's teeth on her neck suddenly loosened and she hung weakly. She pressed a hand to her neck, hoping to stop the bleeding. Elijah looked down at his side to see the handle of an axe sticking out at an odd angle. His eyes found the boy he'd been searching for and with a growl, he dropped Audrey to the forest floor. Young Elijah took some wobbly steps back, the fear eminent on his face as he stared up at the man who shared his name. Without flinching, Elijah removed the axe from his side and threw it at the boy's feet.

"Do you understand?" The boy was frozen in fear as Elijah towered over him. "One day, only a monster will remain."

Fangs grew from behind his lips and his dark eyes sought out the vein in the boy's throat. Elijah hissed, grabbing onto his younger self and rearing his head back before lunging forward. Before he could get close to the boy's throat, a force tossed him through the air and into the trunk of a tree. The boy let out a breath and saw Audrey holding her hands out, her fingertips glowing brightly in the darkness.

"Run." Audrey whispered weakly to him. "Run as fast as you can."

The boy immediately turned on his heel and dashed through the brush, but not before picking up his axe with a shaky hand. Audrey's magic was wavering, so she dropped Elijah hard onto the ground. The pain in her neck had started to numb and so did her limbs from the loss of blood. She tried to blink away the spots from her eyes, but they seemed to multiply as the seconds ticked on. The last sight she saw before blacking out was Elijah's form getting to his feet and springing at her.

* * *

"I always thought having a woman's mouth on my neck would be more erotic." Cami quipped while holding a towel to her bleeding neck.

"You'll heal fast. Drink this." Hayley then bit into her wrist and let the blood dribble into a chalice she'd taken off the altar. "Let's get all these lights off."

The group nodded and began blowing out candles that were scattered around the church. Earlier in the evening, Cami had met Finn at a jazz club to keep him away from his wolves. The two were enjoying their time together until Cami slipped away to answer her phone. Finn became worried after she had been gone for a while and rushed outside to see her bitten and nearly unconscious in the alley behind the club. Before he could help her, she was whisked away by Hayley who had her face covered to hide her identity. In a rage, Finn stormed to his office and called Aiden, wanting to know which of his wolves broke rank and attacked Cami. Aiden said he would figure it out, but unbeknownst to Finn, Aiden was working on a plan to get Finn to the church where he could be neutralized with the handcuffs.

Josh pulled Aiden aside and the two shared a hushed conversation while Giuliana checked her phone again. She hadn't heard from Audrey or Klaus about Elijah's condition and she was quickly becoming worried. She hoped Esther hadn't hooked her claws into him and changed his mind about joining her. She knew Elijah was stronger than that, but ever man has their own breaking point. She pocketed her phone and finished up the last of the candles on the altar. Before blowing out the last one, her green eyes stopped on the paintings of angels that decorated the walls. It had been a while, but she thought now was as good a time as ever to pray. A little voice in her head wondered if angels took prayers from vampires, but she had to have gotten points for effort.

"Hey," Hayley's presence made her turn from the angels. "You okay?"

The vampire's green eyes drifted back to the angels again. "We died here, Hayley."

Hayley noticeably frowned and stepped to stand beside her at the altar, staring at the same angels her friend was so occupied with. She remembered all of it. Hope's birth, the witches, and a quick death. It haunted her long after it happened and being in St. Ann's made the memories come back to her. When she awoke as a hybrid, she saw Giuliana's lifeless body on the steps. Her head had been cracked open by the impact of the marble steps and a dagger was embedded in her chest. Hayley cried over her friend's cold body, stricken with a grief so strong that she was sure it would tear her apart. Once her sobs subsided, she knew she had to fight for her baby and for vengeance. It wasn't until the battle at Lafayette Cemetery did she learn that Giuliana had turned as well and she was filled with immense relief.

"We did," Hayley replied. "But we were also reborn here. Our lives could have ended, but they didn't. Sure, it's not the way we planned, but I'll take it over the other option."

"I...I never thought of it that way." Giuliana's eyebrows wrinkled in contemplation. In a very strange turn of events, they both managed to cheat death and return to their loved ones. Most people weren't so lucky, but Giuliana was now aware of how lucky she was. Vampirism was never a life she wanted for herself, but she grew to accept that it had become a part of her.

"I mean, come on. My baby needed someone to be a godmother who isn't a Mikaelson." Hayley quipped, making Giuliana chuckle. They both turned from the angels and embraced, their arms wrapping firmly around one another. Friends had grown few and far between for the Mikaelsons, so Hayley and Giuliana were thankful for their own friendship that had developed since they both set foot in New Orleans. Pulling back, Hayley gently squeezed Giuliana by the shoulders just as Cami strolled up to them.

"Okay, tell me the plan one more time." She removed the towel from her neck to reveal healed skin.

"Aiden's gonna get Vincent to the altar and then I'm gonna jump him. Giuliana will be a buffer in case things get bad." All three women nodded in understanding. Hayley handed Cami the shackles they had found earlier.

"He's powerful, though, so we only have a few seconds to get the shackles on him."

Cami took them and stowed them in an inside pocket of her jacket and made sure they didn't show. "Where's Marcel?"

"He's looking for Davina. He heard she was back in town," Hayley replied.

"Overprotective-dad stuff?"

Hayley smirked. "If you want to call ripping Kol Mikaelson into a thousand little pieces 'protective dad stuff,' then, yeah. That's it."

"Damn, wish I could be the one to rip Kol into a thousand little pieces." Giuliana snapped her fingers. "Although, I did help kill him back in Mystic Falls."

"What's your beef with Kol?" Cami wondered.

"Well, considering he tried to kill my sister and I back in the 1400s. I'm quite sour," the vampire replied.

"That was a thousand years ago." the blonde said.

"Italians really know how to hold grudges." Giuliana smirked.

Both girls chuckled softly as Aiden rushed up to them with his cell phone clutched in his hand. "Finn is on his way."

"Showtime." Giuliana smirked and sped away to her hiding place on the upper balcony. Hayley and Josh made themselves scarce on the lower level while Cami hid herself from plain sight. Aiden did a once over the church and appeared outside the church just before Finn arrived.

"I staked it out." Aiden told him. "It looks like a couple of Oliver's friends wanting to avenge his death."

"Where's Cami?" Finn asked in a panic.

"She's, uh, she's tied up near the altar. Hey, you bee-line for her, I'll handle the rest of them, alright?" He turned to open the church doors, but Finn's firm grip on his shoulder stopped him.

"Aiden? Your brother was among the recruits that Oliver rescued, was he not?"

The young wolf gaped, unable to respond because he knew no matter what reply came out of his mouth that Finn had him cornered. The rouse was over and Aiden was prepared for the whole plan to go right down the drain. Finn flicked his wrist in Aiden's direction and the wolf's body suddenly crashed through the doors of the church. He slid along the marble aisle and smacked his head against a pew, knocking himself out. That made Josh sped from his hiding place to check on Aiden, however his neck was quickly snapped by Finn who had made himself known in the church. He lifted his hands, lighting all of the candles in the space and frantically searched for Cami.

"Camille? Camille!" He shouted and turned just in time for his face to meet Hayley's fist.

"First, I'm going to kick your ass. Then, I'm going to take my pack back." She growled at him.

Finn chuckled and felt his bleeding lip. "Your pack? Last I checked, your pack was blindly following me."

"You wanna talk about following? How do your mother's boots taste?" Hayley kicked Finn hard in an effort to quiet him, but he continued to laugh at her.

"What have you done with Cami?" He asked. Hayley shrugged her shoulders and Finn snarled. He raised his hands, ready to cast a spell, but Hayley was not worried for she saw a figure just over his shoulder.

Giuliana lept off the balcony, her body propelling through the air gracefully that Finn hadn't heard her. She latched onto him, wrapping her legs tightly around his torso and digging her nails into his chest. She bit into his neck. Hard. He howled and tried to shake her off him, but she held on like her life depended on it. Hayley rushed forward, smashing her foot into his face and he fell to the ground. Giuliana sprung off him, standing beside Hayley while Finn struggled to get to his feet. A two on one battle hardly seemed fair, but Finn wouldn't go down without a fight.

"You okay Finn? You look a little pale." The vampire smirked with bloodied lips.

"You have tried my patience long enough." He spoke. "Where is Cami?"

"That's for us to know and you to dot, dot, dot." She added and looked to Hayley. "I've always wanted to say something like that."

"Isn't that from a movie or something?" The hybrid wondered coyly.

Giuliana shrugged. "I don't know, but admit it, it sounds cool."

Finn raised his left hand and waved it, sending the vampire flying through the air and into a set of pews. The wood splintered loudly and Hayley gulped seeing that Giuliana remained motionless in the sharp pile. The hybrid rushed to her friend, but she was stopped by Finn's magic.

"You both died once in this church and I can make it happen again." He threatened and turned his attention to Hayley. Using the same hand, he clenched his fist in the direction of her chest and she doubled over. Her lungs coughed up bright red blood and it spilled onto the floor.

"Le specto tre colo ves bestia! Le specto tre colo ves bestia!" He chanted over and over. Hayley clutched her chest as she spit up more blood. She could feel Finn trying to pull her heart from her chest without even touching her. She was sure she was a goner when suddenly, an arrow flew from the back of the church.

The arrow pierced Finn in the shoulder, breaking his spell and Hayley turned in time to see Jackson jumping down from the balcony with a bow and quiver in hand. He loaded another arrow into the bow and released, shooting Finn through the thigh while Hayley went to Giuliana's side. Finn crawled up onto the altar in hope to escape Jackson, but before he could react further, Cami appeared from behind the sacristy and slapped the manacles onto his wrists. Finn stared up at Cami in shock, gaping like a fish out of water. He couldn't believe she of all people had betrayed him. He tried to fend her off with magic, but the manacles had put a stop to his powers.

"You would have done the same thing to me, Finn." She glared. Finn struggled to rise to his feet in an effort to explain himself, but was quickly shoved back down by Giuliana who was still picking splinters out of her skin.

"Have a seat, Finn. Stay a while." With an uppercut upside the cheek, Finn was knocked unconscious. "You alright?" She asked Cami.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good." The blonde nodded.

"You did good." Giuliana patted her shoulder before plucking a piece of wood from her collarbone. Cami watched as the woman's olive skin stitched itself back together as each splinter was removed.

"Thank you," she said softly and looked down at Finn's form. "If I only had kept my big mouth shut, then he wouldn't have gotten so close to me."

"You didn't know, Cami." Giuliana sat beside her. "Think of it this way, after Klaus is done with him. He won't bother anyone again."

Her blue eyes widened. "Do you think Klaus will kill him?"

Giuliana shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows what he has planned."

The blonde bartender suddenly fell quiet. She didn't want anyone getting hurt, but she knew how Klaus could be. She'd only hoped that Audrey would be able to knock some sense into him, however sometimes the witch was just as ruthless as her hybrid counterpart.

The vampire then patted Cami's knee reassuringly and stood up. "Come on, help me load Finn in the back of the car."

Cami blanched; she'd never received that kind of a request before. Giuliana bent down to pick up Finn by the back of his collar and had dragged him halfway down the aisle before Cami snapped to her senses and trailed after.

"Oh...okay. I'll help."

* * *

Klaus placed an ice pack wrapped in a hand towel upon Audrey's forehead, gently pressing it to make sure the coolness registered on her skin. When he returned to the compound, he was confused to find his brother awake and Audrey unconscious on the floor of the bedroom. He questioned Elijah, but was quickly shut down realizing that his brother had only awoken just moments ago. After spending his day in the woods with Ansel, he was anxious to get home, but he was now worried that his time away had given Esther the chance to strike again. Klaus adjusted the ice pack and Audrey jostled slightly, her lips mumbling words so soft even Klaus could not understand them. He ran his fingers along her cheek, leaving small goose bumps in his wake. Audrey's eyes slowly opened, still drowsy with sleep and she squinted until she adjusted to the light in the room. Peering up at Klaus she could see his shoulders fall as a sigh of relief left him. His pink lips curled into a smile and he peered down at her.

"You gave us quite the fright, love." His chest rumbled as he spoke.

Audrey's eyebrows furrowed. "Us?"

From over Klaus' form emerged Elijah who had awoken from his deep slumber. He was changed out of his clothes from earlier and wrapped back in his familiar suit and tie. Even though he was wide awake, a sheen of sleep still lingered over him. He walked closer to the side of the bed to stand just off Klaus' shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" He asked Audrey as she tried to sit up.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" She huffed as she was able to prop herself up on some pillows that were behind her.

"The worst has past. Though, I suspect the nightmares are far from over." Elijah replied.

"Esther sure knows how to make a nightmare. I'll give her that." The witch held the ice pack in place on her forehead. "You should be resting."

"As should you," the Original chided. "When I awoke, you were unconscious on the floor. That was when I called for Niklaus immediately."

"I'm fine. Nothing a stiff drink won't cure." Audrey waved her hand dismissively and nudged Klaus off the bed. He stood close by as she braced herself on the foot of the bed frame and pushed herself up. Her feet touched the floor and she straightened her body, but she wobbled on unsteady legs. Klaus wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close, so she could lean against him.

"Audrey, you must rest," he implored.

"And you mustn't fuss over me." She countered and moved away from Klaus to stand behind the chair that she sat in while trying to break into Elijah's mind.

"I feel as though I should." Klaus began. "After the message I sent Mother tonight, I expect hell-fire to rain upon us imminently."

Elijah and Audrey looked to him with questions in their eyes, but the witch was the first to speak.

"I don't understand."

Klaus sobered for a moment his nervous gaze shifting between his lover and his brother. "I spent the day with my father. My real father."

Elijah remained silent, his dark eyes were wide with shock. He sat on the edge of the bed near Audrey. The witch felt her stomach churn, somehow putting the pieces together of what might have happened tonight while Klaus was looking in the woods for the flower that had woken his brother.

"Esther brought him back from the dead, believing he could convince me to renounce vampirism." Klaus continued and took a small notebook from inside his jacket. "The thought of what I could be, had I been raised by him. Had I been nurtured. This was his."

His brother took the book and opened it, flipping its worn pages to find writings and sketches scrawled along them. He stopped on a drawing of Klaus when he was a young boy. Elijah could feel the remnants of his nightmare creeping inside his head once more. He remembered seeing his younger self playing with Klaus before Audrey had stepped in to thwart his mother's efforts. Audrey peered at the picture over Elijah's shoulder and smiled when she saw it. She'd never seen what Klaus looked like as a young boy before tonight and she felt her insides grow warm at the thought of him being carefree as he ran through the woods of his home.

"He knew about Hope."

Klaus' voice broke the silence in the room and the sudden reality of the situation came crashing down on all of them. Elijah closed the notebook while Audrey's head whipped in Klaus' direction to see his eyes flooding with fresh hot tears. He didn't even have to speak for her to know what he had done. She placed her hand atop the notebook and was shown Ansel's death behind her closed eyes. She didn't know Ansel for long, but his very presence gave her the hope that Klaus would learn more about himself as a man and a father. However, that hope was now buried with Ansel. She withdrew her hand with a small gasp and Elijah stood with the notebook in his grasp.

"I wanted to trust him more than anything in the world. I-I wanted to, but..." Klaus' words trailed off without him, unable to sort the emotions that were ramming against his soul. "I couldn't be sure. And, I would never forgive myself if something happened to her because of my selfish desire for a father. So, I killed him. Without hesitation. I killed him."

Audrey knew why Klaus had done what he did, but she wished he hadn't. She truly felt that Ansel would have been good for Klaus and the Mikaelsons as a whole. Ansel could have helped Klaus understand his anger and resentment, but Audrey knew his death had to come swiftly. Ansel was Esther's creation and she could have easily heard that Hope indeed was alive and that would mean the destruction of the entire Mikaelson line.

"You killed him for Hope." Elijah spoke and walked to meet Klaus who was on the verge of turmoil. He handed him the notebook and grasped his brother by the back of the neck.

"And whatever innocence remains, we must protect at any cost." He added and Klaus let his tears fall against his brother's shoulder. Audrey stood slowly from the bed and was ready to give the brothers their moment to reconcile, but she could feel Klaus' eyes on her, almost begging her to stay.

Elijah pulled back from his brother, clapping his shoulders firmly. He followed Klaus' gaze to Audrey and knew they had things to discuss just by the volumes behind their eyes. He left the room, closing the door behind him and the two remained silent for many long moments.

"I am sorry for any pain that I have caused you," he spoke softly. "Everything you've ever done has been to protect my family and I am forever grateful. I will never put my hands on you again no matter how much I disagree on the choices you make."

"Why the sudden change of heart?" She wondered curiously.

"My father...Ansel, he helped me." Klaus replied. "Even though Hope is not your child, you have protected her as though she is your own."

"Of course. She is your daughter." Audrey shifted on her feet, not looking up at Klaus as he moved closer to her. He nearly closed the gap between them and took one of her hand in both of his. He stared into her eyes as Ansel's words echoed in his head from earlier.

"How come you never told me that you were the one that placed the protection spell around Hope and Rebekah? It's kept them hidden all this time." He added. It was news to him when Ansel told him that Audrey had used her own magic to cloak his family from Esther. At first, Klaus was hesitant to believe it since Audrey had informed him that it had been taken care of, but she never explained who had performed the spell. Klaus was shocked to his core that Audrey had done something so selfless and all to keep his family safe.

"Well, now you know," the witch said.

"But why?" He asked her.

"Because I see how you've changed since Hope was born. She makes you want to be a better person. Seeing that makes me want to protect Hope till my last dying breath." She replied. "I know you miss her terribly, Klaus. If I can help in any way to bring her home to you, then I will do it."

Klaus felt his eyes well up again with tears at her selflessness. He hands gently squeezed hers before lifting his fingers to brush along her cheek. She leaned into him, missing his soft touch for far too long. They were very alike, Audrey and Klaus. Sometimes almost too alike. They would both fight fiercely for their loved ones and would dispose of any force or being that stood in their way. However, this similarity caused them to disagree in ways that shook them both deep down to their cores. They didn't want to fight. They wanted to join together and face whatever challenges were ahead of them.

"I love you," Klaus whispered, his breath caressing her skin. Those three words had been very seldom used for Klaus Mikaelson. It was said in moments of passion with lovers passed or to those he felt deserved it, but ultimately betrayed him, but this time finally understood what those three words truly meant.

Audrey smiled and one lone tears trailed down her cheek. "And I love you. Always and forever."

The hybrid felt a smile tug at his before kissing his witch fully. He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. She moved her lips in tandem with his own, letting the weight of his words sink into her skin. When Audrey had first met the Mikaelsons, she saw them as a broken family that was trying their hardest to fight against the odds to become whole again. After seeing it fragmented with the return of Esther, she was now beginning to watch the pieces slowly sew themselves together again. Audrey made a promise to herself a long time ago that she would help them see the strength within their family bonds, mainly because she did not have a family of her own and for the first time, she felt that she belonged somewhere.

Klaus pulled back, resting his forehead against hers and running the tip of his nose along her own. She nuzzled him, swearing she could hear his soft purrs at the back of his throat. She peered up at her hybrid and pressed a kiss on his cheek. They remained embraced for quite some time until they noticed Elijah standing expectantly in the doorway.

"If you two would come downstairs, there is a gift waiting." Elijah gestured to the open door and Klaus stepped backward, bowing his arms to Audrey.

"After you."

The trio made their way down the staircase and into the main foyer of the compound. Waiting inside were Marcel and Giuliana, both looking awfully smug as the trio approached them. The green-eyed vampire could feel her heart leap in her chest seeing Elijah upright. Her smile spread even wider across her lips while she fought the urge to hug him tightly.

"It's good to see you standing." She grinned at the vampire who returned it with only wide eyes.

"How are you doing, Elijah?" Marcel asked. Elijah opened his mouth to speak, his eyes still locked on Giuliana when his mind was suddenly assaulted by the nightmare of the red door. He saw flashes of himself chasing a screaming Giuliana down the hallway until ultimately burying his fangs inside of her neck.

"Elijah?" Giuliana's soft voice shook him and it wasn't until then that he'd realized his eyes had fallen closed. He stared back at the pair of vampires and composed himself before they could question him further.

"As fine as I possibly can." Elijah answered.

"Well, we're hoping the gifts Marcel and I left you in the ballroom will help cheer you up." She smirked widely.

The Originals were confused to say the least, but they stepped around the vampire pair to the doorway to the ballroom. They threw the doors open and chained to the double iron wrought stairways were Finn and Kol. The prisoners struggled against their restraints, but they had been trapped like sitting ducks. Audrey raised her eyebrows, a bit surprised, but impressed that Marcel and Giuliana were able to snatch up the remaining two Mikaelsons right from under Esther's nose.

"Kidnapping?" Kol asked incredulously. "That's a rather unpleasant way to begin a family reunion!"

"Well, wait until you see how we end it." Klaus grinned at them smugly.

* * *

 **Hello my darlings! Thank you so much for being patient with me with my updates. I will be finishing up with classes in December which means I will have more free time to crank out chapters. I hope you enjoyed this one ;) Please leave a review!**

* * *

 **NicoleR85:** Thank you, my dear! I am so happy you're enjoying this story thus far.

 **BrittStar1199:** The smut is coming, my friend ;) For Elijah and Giuliana it will be a little while, however Klaus and Audrey seemed to have made up after she practically threatened him. After this chapter, I think Klaus really realized that Audrey will be by his side no matter what happens. Hold on tight, it's gonna be a bumpy ride ;) Thank you for reviewing!

 **CarlyLynn:** Yes, Elijah is back home, but he is not himself. It will take him some time for him to get back to normal since Esther did quite a number on him. Thanks for reviewing!

 **twin of a sister:** Hello my dear friend :) Thank you so much for reviewing! I hope that this update can make your day as well. This chapter was action packed too! Talk to you soon xoxo

 **CharmedGirl92:** Hi girl! Thank you for reviewing! I have been trying to go my own route as far as the story goes. It gets difficult at times when coming up with things to write, but I think it ultimately pays out in the end because my readers enjoy reading my stories. I have been meaning to read and review your Captain America stories and I will get around to doing that (I promise!).

 **grapejuice101:** Thanks so much for reviewing! Trying to crank these chapters out as quickly as possible ;)


	8. The Brothers that Care Forgot

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 8: The Brothers that Care Forgot**

 **Beta:** **PrincessOfSilence**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing of The Originals. I only own my characters and story.**

* * *

"We arrive into this world as innocents. Wide-eyed. Vulnerable. It is the job of our parents to nurture and protect us. Unfortunately, our own parents failed miserably at even the most basic of parental tasks, but we are not beholden to the past they created for us." Klaus spoke eloquently as he slowly paced behind the chairs at the Mikaelson dining room table. Compelled servants bustled around them, bringing in silver trays with all kinds of breakfast foods. Audrey was seated the closest to the head of the table where Klaus had occupied and Elijah sat beside her, his glaring gaze fixated on his brothers.

"Today, a new future awaits. Forget your animosity toward Elijah and myself. Instead, join us against she who truly deserves your ire-our mother." He continued. Kol rolled his eyes while his brother, Finn, sported a look of boredom on his face. Both brothers still sported the heavy manacles that prevented them from doing magic.

"Do this, and we will welcome you with open arms," Klaus offered a gleaming smile to his brothers.

Kol's devious eyes were glued to a tray of pastries that had been set down in front of him. With a shrug of his shoulders, he reached for the silver tray. "Well—"

The rest of his remark was halted once the tray was quickly pulled out of his reach. Klaus moved it closer to Audrey, a cheeky smile on his lips and she grinned before plucking a white powdered sugar pastry from the top of the pile. She popped it in her mouth with a smirk, watching as Kol glared at her from across the table. The witch threw Klaus a wink and took another pastry from the tray.

"But, if you continue to oppose us, a denial of pastries will be the least of your concerns." Klaus added.

"If all you wanted was my allegiance against Mother Dearest, you should have said so." Kol grumbled. "Save me a night shackled to the wall."

"Yes, this was Niklaus; my recommendation was to remove your limbs, one by one, until you comply," Elijah replied.

"And I seconded that." Audrey nodded her head in Elijah's direction before licking her lips of powdered sugar. "I would have enjoyed making your blood boil and watching you both melt from the inside out."

"Brother. Darling." The Original hybrid tsked at the devious pair and Audrey gave him a stern look that he was scolding her like a parent would a child. Elijah, on the other hand, was immune to Klaus' jesting. He was in no mood for childish games.

"We've no desire to torture you." Klaus turned his attention back to his brothers as he clasped a hand on each of his brother's shoulders. "Provided you vow to stand beside us."

"Brothers. Does that word even apply to us? After all these centuries of betrayal? And, has loyalty to you ever rewarded?" Finn shrugged from his brother's hold and met his gaze. "If so, tell me Niklaus—where is our sister, Rebekah?"

Audrey was sure Elijah's own blood would become lava at the very mention of his sister's name. She watched his fist which rested on the table clench so hard that his knuckles turned white. His jawline twitched and he inhaled sharply through his nose. She could still feel the hold of Esther's magic lingering around him like a low fog and she was concerned that the Original mother had truly left her mark on him after exposing his indecencies with Tatia in their home village. The added tension from his brothers, especially Finn, did nothing to ease his worries. Audrey then looked to Klaus who had turn his back on the entire table, shielding his face, but the witch could feel his emotions plucking at her soul. He was scared—for Rebekah and for Hope—but he refused to let his brothers have any inkling that he knew of his sister's whereabouts.

"She was blindly loyal to you for a thousand years, and now? Nowhere to be found," Finn continued. "Where did our sister go and how did she escape your vile machinations?"

"Ha! You think me vile? What, then, do you make of the one who cursed us?" Klaus whirled around, his air of confidence had returned.

"She was trying to make you mortal again!" Finn argued.

Elijah's clenched fist was now holding possession of a butter knife which he clutched tightly as Finn continued to speak. Small beads of sweat formed on his forehead at his brother's words about his dear Rebekah. Audrey quietly slid over a steak knife to the tense Original, hoping he'd take the hint that a serrated blade would do a lot more damage, but he kept his gaze locked on Finn.

"And you both refused her. It only proves how far you've fallen, but I expect Rebekah will have a different response to her proposal."

Audrey then felt a sharp pain at her right temple, a pain she hadn't received since Rebekah and Hope had gone into hiding. She winced, but swallowed any sound that would alert either brother that she knew Rebekah was facing turmoil. She pressed two fingers to her throbbing temple to ease it, but inside her head she was greeted by the sounds of singing birds and laughing children. Audrey tried to focus on other sounds, but the birds were quickly becoming the center of her vision. It sounded like there were thousands of them so close together, the beating of wings accompanying the ever-growing chirping. A comforting hand on her shoulder from Klaus suddenly stopped the noise, the vision being yanked from inside her mind. She peered up at him before placing her hand over his. Klaus remained behind her, worried that Esther was playing another trick on her, but a squeeze of his hand let him know that she was alright.

"See, unlike the two of you, she always did cling to her humanity." Finn's voice helped to clear the fog from the witch's mind.

Elijah was now leaning across the table, so close to his brother that he could reach out and slash them with his knife if he wanted to and oh, did he want to. "Rebekah is off-limits to you. You pursue her and you will suffer."

"Do not let him goad you, Elijah. Neither he, nor Esther, will find Rebekah unless she wants to be found." He glared at Finn. "And she does not."

"Esther is quite determined." Finn met his brother's glare with a sly smirk. "She's been searching for Rebekah since the day she returned. I imagine it's only a matter of time."

Before anyone at the table could open their mouths, Elijah surged forward, grabbing Finn by the collar and slamming his body onto the table. Both Audrey and Kol jumped back, bewildered by Elijah's sudden outburst. Plates and glasses shattered, the jagged pieces falling onto the floor. Without hesitation, Elijah buried his teeth in Finn's neck, feeding on him as to punish him for his threat to Rebekah and Hope's safety. Another pang in Audrey's head made her whimper and Klaus gently took her shoulder.

"Something's wrong," Audrey whispered more to herself than anyone, but Klaus heard her. The question formed in his head, but the ringing of his cell phone stopped it from leaving his lips. Glancing at the caller ID, he whisked Audrey out of the dining room and into an alcove in the compound.

"Rebekah?" He answered the phone without waiting another second longer.

 _"It's me. We have a problem."_ Rebekah's frantic, yet hushed voice came through the speaker.

"What is it?" Klaus asked.

 _"It's mother. She's found us or rather her starlings found us."_ She replied before casting a glance over her shoulder. On a telephone line over a children's playground sat a large flock of brown birds, intently staring in Rebekah's direction. The Original held a sleepy Hope tightly to her chest and went back into hiding. She had taken Hope to the park, wanting her to enjoy the crisp autumn air when the starlings came. At first, she chalked it up to coincidence because only a handful had perched themselves on the wire, but then they started showing up in flocks. Other parents marveled at the birds, yanking their phones from their pockets, but Rebekah was panic-stricken. She knew those birds all too well and what they meant.

"Where are you?" Klaus asked.

 _"At the park. I...I'm afraid to leave."_ She stammered. _"They'll follow us wherever they go."_

Klaus was at a loss. Audrey's magic that protected Rebekah must have been interrupted when Esther attacked her for trying to break Elijah from his nightmare prison and now his sister and child had been corner in a playground by his wicked mother. He gritted his teeth in frustration, his mind calculating every which way his sister could escape. If he was to step in, he'd be too late and the birds would have already alerted Esther to Rebekah's presence. If Rebekah left, the birds would not rest until they could get a solid location on her and Hope.

"You need to get back to Elijah." Audrey's tone was somber, yet firm. Klaus looked down at her to see the edges of her eyes turning black.

"Audrey...?"

"He'll drain Finn soon and we can't have that. Go." She replied and held out her hand for the phone. As though he was being beckoned into the dining room, Klaus handed her the phone and disappeared with a gust of wind. Audrey pressed the phone up to her ear and braced her other hand on the wall to keep herself grounded as the last bits of her vision was clouded by darkness.

"Rebekah." Audrey spoke.

 _"Audrey? Where is Klaus?"_

"I need you to stay where you are until I tell you to move and keep Hope's eyes covered once you do. Do you understand me?"

The blonde Original remained quiet on the other line and Audrey took her silence as acceptance. Feeling her power swell from within her, she focused on the park's location where Rebekah and Hope were currently being held hostage. She remembered the sounds from her vision and singled out the singing birds. Behind her closed eyes, she could see them sitting on the cable, staring in Rebekah's direction. Audrey muttered, inaudible words fell from her lips and she repeated them over and over again, getting louder each time.

It felt as though an eternity passed as Rebekah waited. Months had gone by and she and Hope lived in peace only to have it suddenly shattered by her mother. She kept a sleepy Hope close to her chest, gently rocking her in the hopes of getting her to fall asleep. Rebekah then felt the winds pick up around her and she put up Hope's hood to protect her from the chill. She was then startled by the loud squawking of the starlings and was tempted to peek, but she would heed Audrey's warning and stay in her hiding place. Beneath the calls of the birds, which suddenly became louder, she could hear a slight crackling and people shouting.

 _"Go! Run and remember what I said,"_ Audrey's voice came through the phone's speaker and Rebekah bolted, keeping Hope's eyes away from the playground. Pop! Pop! Pop! Rebekah reached her car, threw open the door and settled Hope in her car seat before getting herself in the driver's seat. She threw the car in reverse, keeping the phone clutched in her hand as she watched masses of feathers flutter to the ground and parents whisk their screaming children from the chaos.

* * *

In the compound, Klaus had successfully pried Elijah off Finn and had calmed him down enough to explain that keeping their brothers alive was imperative if they wanted to face Esther. As much as Elijah didn't want to believe it, he needed Kol and Finn despite the threats they made towards Rebekah. Klaus knew how protective Elijah was of his family, but he'd never seen him so feral and out of control. Audrey had warned Klaus that Elijah was still not back to normal after being under Esther's spell and today he saw that as clear as day. Elijah was always the trustworthy one, the brother that could keep calm in a turbulent situation, but that man had become shrouded in something Klaus could not place. It was difficult for him to take on the role of being the level-headed one in the family, but he knew he had to for Hope. Elijah adjusted his suit, yanking down at the collar of his shirt before seeing Audrey facing the brick wall.

Klaus then placed a soft hand on Audrey's shoulder, silently letting her know he had come back. The witch gave him a sideways glance which then passed to Elijah. Wisps of white circled the edges of her eyes and grew larger as the seconds ticked on.

"Audrey?" Klaus' eyes found hers and he could see her trying to shake the blackness from her eyes. Without a word, she handed him the phone back and he took it, pressing it back to his ear.

"Rebekah."

 _"We're okay."_ Her reply made him sigh in relief. _"Although I can't say the children in the park will be okay. Most of them might need some therapy."_

Both brothers looked to Audrey, curiosity painting their features.

"You wanted me to get rid of the starlings, so I got rid of the starlings." The witch answered, straightening her body to lean against the wall. Her eyes were back to normal now.

 _"Yes, but now there are crying, screaming children at a playground because they just witnessed a flock of birds explode."_ Rebekah huffed.

"Just be happy that those feather heads won't be getting back to Esther." Audrey countered.

 _"Nik, I don't know where to go."_ The blonde turned her attention back to her brother.

"Tell her to head west." Elijah suggested. "I will tell Hayley."

 _"Do not tell Hayley!"_ Rebekah shouted. _"Esther's too smart for that. The only advantage that we have is that she thinks the baby died. Text me the plans."_

The line went dead and Klaus pocketed his phone, his mind already contemplating where he could send Rebekah and Hope for them to be safe.

"Go. I'll take care of Kol and Finn," Elijah offered.

"Splendid," Klaus growled. "And, in your hands, I assume they'll be dead by nightfall."

"I will show restraint," his brother promised.

"You have none." Audrey spoke up and Elijah swallowed his pride. "Look at you. Esther's magic still has its claws hooked in you, Elijah; you're not yourself."

The suited Original looked down at his bloodstained and shaking hands. A few droplets had splattered themselves onto the cuffs of his shirt and he dove further into his own paranoia. The words of his mother echoed inside his brain and he desperately tried to shake her away, but Audrey was right. He was a man possessed by his dark past and it was now coming back to haunt him with a vengeance. Tatia. The Red Door. His mind was spinning out of control. He looked between his brother and the witch, sensing their uneasiness around him and that only made him crumble further. Taking a hold of himself, he pocketed his hands, as if to banish the blood from his sight and he took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Hope needs her father." Elijah's voice shook.

"What she needs...what we need are allies to help us defeat our mother. Finn and Kol must be turned to our side. Without their help, there will be nowhere left for Hope to run." Klaus continued.

"Niklaus, your child—"

"I have waited months to see my daughter." Klaus could feel anger burning inside him, but he took a hold of his composure, knowing he had to for Hope. "I can wait one more day."

"Brother, I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe," Elijah promised.

* * *

"Is this the place?" Giuliana asked as Elijah pulled his car to a slow stop in front of a small diner on the side of the road.

The Original didn't answer her. He merely killed the engine and climbed out of the car without even waiting for his driving companion. Giuliana fumbled with her seatbelt and rushed to catch up with him, her boots kicking up the dirt as she walked. He didn't speak one word to her the entire car ride and that hurt her more than anything. She could see that he still wasn't himself and that only made her want to kill Esther even more. She'd hoped Audrey would come up with some sort of a spell soon or she might burst. Either that or she'd smack the sense into Elijah.

"Hey, uhm...I know you're not thrilled to have me tag along, but—"

Elijah continued to walk ahead, ignoring her completely. He pushed open the door of the diner, slid inside and perused a booth for them to sit in. Giuliana had caught up with him and she gently took a hold of his arm. She immediately felt him stiffen, but she didn't relinquish her hold.

"Elijah—" When he heard her voice and met her pleading green eyes he was reminded of the very same eyes that begged for her life in his vision. For a split second, the diner was replaced with a dark hallway, her clothes were a white, bloodstained gown, and he had become the monster his mother had created.

"Excuse me?" Both vampires turned their attention to a waitress who had approached them. Elijah seemed to snap from his nightmare and Giuliana stepped in front of him to speak to the waitress.

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Yes." Giuliana replied too quickly for her liking. "My... _boyfriend_ and I are tired from the long trip. Lots of driving, you know?"

The waitress' guard dropped and she gave the pair a warm smile. "Oh, yes. I understand. Please, take a seat wherever you'd like."

"Thank you." The green-eyed vampire smiled sweetly and the waitress was on her way back to the kitchen. She then ushered Elijah to a booth and he sat, still deep in thought.

"Elijah." She sat across from him, trying to find the Original she knew was buried deep inside. "Please say something."

A long moment of silence passed and Giuliana decided it would be best to leave Elijah be especially when he was in this state. She took up a menu from the condiment rack and let her eyes wander the kinds of options she could eat. Hopefully they wouldn't have to wait too long for Rebekah to join them. Giuliana was excited to meet Hope only after briefly meeting her at the time of her birth.

"What would you have me say?" Elijah's low rumbling voice partly startled her, so much so that she was unsure that he was really speaking to her. She placed the menu down, giving him her full attention and hoped that he wouldn't clam up on her again.

"Well, this is a start." She smiled warmly at him, but it faded when he didn't return it.

"I lost control today with Finn," he spoke slowly. "I was so...blinded by his threats. I remember the word turning red and I didn't know what I had done until Niklaus brought me back to my sense."

Elijah's dark eyes found their way to his hands which rested on the table's surface. He examined his fingerprints and life lines which had been stained with blood earlier in the day. His hands shook and he saw that Giuliana noticed, so he clasped them together tightly in an effort to stop the tremors. The female vampire reached her hand across the table to gently brush her fingers against his closed hands, but he jerked away at the intimate contact. She retracted and placed her hands in her lap while Elijah did the same before continuing.

"I worry that Niklaus sent you with me to meet Rebekah because he doesn't trust me."

At that, Giuliana's eyes snapped up to meet his. "Of course he trusts you, Elijah. You're his brother."

"Then why are you here?" His question was scathing as he stared her down.

"I care about you," she said as the waitress came up to the table with a coffee pot. She poured the steaming, muddy liquid into the mugs and accidentally spilled some on the cuff of Elijah's sleeve and jacket.

"Oh! I am so sorry. Let me—"

"It's quite alright." Elijah shooed her away as quickly as possible. "Thank you."

"Here," Giuliana rose from her seat and scooted into the booth next to Elijah. She wiped down the table with her napkin and then patted down the fabric of his suit. Watching her dab the stain on his leave brought him back to his home in the forest, particularly the slaughterhouse where he brought Tatia's dead body.

 _"I told you to clean yourself up. If you were clean, no one would know what you are or what you've done."_ Esther's voice echoed inside his head as it had anytime he thought he was finally rid of her nightmares. The coffee looked more and more like blood to him the longer he stared at it. He watched the waitress scamper off behind the counter where she whispered to two people sitting there eating. The gentlemen turned to eye Elijah which only made the vampire more paranoid.

"See? No harm done." Giuliana said, placing the dirty napkin aside and to her dismay, Elijah gripped her wrist tightly. She whimpered softly and he drew her in closer.

"Giuliana," his voice was pained and he could feel another nightmare closing in on him.

"Elijah, you're hurting me." Tears stung her eyes as he tightened his hold on her wrist and she tried to tug away, but upon looking in his eyes she could see he slipped beneath the shadows of his mind.

In his head, she was on her knees, begging for her life, for mercy, but the beast inside him would not let her go. Her cheeks were stained with hot tears while his were stained with the fresh blood of his recent kills. She stared up in horror at his gleaming fangs that were sharp enough to tear through her skin and Elijah could hear her heartbeat rattling against her ribcage. He had her now; right where he wanted her and all he had to do was take what was his. He leaned in closer, his breath falling on her skin and he opened his mouth to make the final bite, but a sharp sting in his cheek brought him back to reality.

Once free of Elijah's hold, Giuliana scampered out of the booth and stood a few feet away from the Original who was massaging his reddened cheek. She cradled her bruised hand which paled in comparison to a punctured neck which would have been hers if she hadn't struck Elijah. He peered up at her and was immediately ashamed of what he had done. All eyes in the diner were suddenly on him and some even whispered to other patrons. He stood up, quite rigidly and the female vampire held her ground as much as she wanted to back away from him.

"Elijah..."

"Leave." He commanded. "Now."

Giuliana knew Elijah could not control his outbursts and it was true now more than ever that he needed help recovering from Esther's magic. She reached out to comfort him, knowing that was what he needed the most, but he took her in his arms instead.

"You have to go. I will not have you stay here and be placed in danger." He pleaded with her.

"It was an accident," she countered.

"No." He shook his head. "Audrey was right. I am not myself. I'm afraid I am beyond help now. You...you mean too much to me. I can't let you stay."

"Please," she whispered, but Elijah had made up his mind.

"You will leave this place and not come back." His pupils dilated and constricted, willing her to do his bidding.

"I will leave and not come back." She repeated as a single tear fell from the corner of her eye. Elijah unhanded Giuliana, who turned away from him, collected her purse from the booth and exited the diner. He leaned back against the table, his heart heavy from watching her walk away from him, however the darker corners of his mind were already working to undo him once more. He felt the stares of the patrons from the diner on him, practically burning holes through his expensive suit and in those moments he pondered all of the wicked ways to remove them.

* * *

"Do you think our mother is even the _least_ bit concerned for your well-being?" Klaus asked Finn as his nimble fingers danced over the assortment of knives he brought out to torture Finn with. The blades glimmered within the reflection of his bright blue eyes and his devious grin grew wider as he plucked a large knife from the table. He'd brought Finn back to the foyer and chained him back to the stairwell while Kol was upstairs with Marcel. Hoping to keep the heat on both of his brothers, Klaus was optimistic that either one of them would crack and betray their mother. If he could get them both to switch sides, it would be even better, but he would settle for one nonetheless.

"She knows I don't need rescuing," Finn replied weakly. He'd been given enough blood to heal his bite from Elijah, but his body had not yet recuperated from the loss of blood he endured.

Klaus held up the large knife and twirled it around between his fingers, letting the blade catch the light. He tested the point against the tip of his finger and made an approving sound with his lips. He held the knife up for Finn to see, making sure to showcase the length of the blade.

"Hmm?" Klaus looked at his brother expectantly, waiting for some kind of input or comment. He would even settle for some kind of snarky reply. Receiving silence, Klaus gave a shrug and placed the knife down among its comrades.

"You can toy with me all you want, Niklaus, but you've had innumerable opportunities to kill me." Finn replied.

"But, I didn't, did I?" Klaus pointed another object of torture in his brother's direction before placing it back down and waltzing over to him.

"Finn, I understand your devotion to her. She must have clung to you with desperate need after our sister Freya died, making you believe it was your responsibility to care for her. Always and forever, hmm? A burden which you accepted without question, because you were a good son." He explained while Finn wanted nothing more to be free from his chains and back with Esther. "Small children lack the capacity to question their parents, but you're a man, now, Finn."

"Is that the extent of your argument?" His brother questioned. "I'm a man, now, so I should join your wretched cause?"

"Is it not better to join me, then spend the remainder of your mortal life aligned to a woman who always manipulated you?" Klaus wondered aloud. "Brother, I offer you the opportunity to free yourself! Side with me, and I will give you the life she never once offered: a chance to choose your own path!"

Finn remained silent, but Klaus could not place his expression. He had hoped the harsh truths about their mother would make Finn reconsider, but the bond of mother and son was not so easily broken. Even when they were children, Finn was always by his mother's side, always taking up her attention, and always being close by when his other siblings needed their mother's care.

"The choice is yours, brother!" Klaus warned and exited the foyer.

Audrey Montgomery could practically hear Klaus' frustration through the walls while she sat in the open courtyard of the compound. Despite his throbbing anger, she kept herself focused on the spell she had been casting. After Rebekah had been given a location to go to, the witch got to work with putting a veil of protection over her and Hope. Audrey was sure Esther purposely attacked her to see if she had any information on Rebekah and she nearly succeeded with her starlings.

The witch watched Rebekah's car wind along the roads, her blue eyes constantly checking on Hope and the emergence of anymore starlings, however Audrey had taken care of all of them and they would not be bothering her again. The witch's light humming stopped once the door shut behind Klaus and she rested her hands against the surface of the table. Her eyes were closed as to not expose the blackness that had taken over her sockets.

"How goes the torture?" She asked him.

"I forgot how infuriatingly naive my brother is; Finn puts up a good front, but do not worry, I intend to break him," Klaus replied.

"Perhaps Marcel will do better with Kol." Audrey leaned her back against the chair and slowly opened her eyes to reveal them going back to their normal light blue. "He was always the more finicky brother."

"Kol is also a happy homicidal maniac, but we all have our flaws." The hybrid moved to stand behind the witch. He pressed his hands to her shoulders and gently squeezed them.

"Rebekah is out of harm's way. No other starlings have crossed her path." Audrey reported. "She should reach the location you sent her by nightfall."

Klaus let out a long sigh and prodded her shoulder blades with his thumbs. The tenseness of her muscles melted away beneath his calloused fingers. Audrey reveled in his touch, but was struck with the events that happened in the compound earlier.

"I'm sorry Esther got through." Her voice came out small and she wished she'd never said a word if it was going to come out that way. Unfortunately for her, Klaus heard her and his fingers stopped their motions.

"I should have had my guard up when she attacked me." She continued. "She could have hurt Rebekah or your daughter."

Klaus removed his hands from her shoulders and walked around to stand in front of her. He could see the doubt forming in her normally confident gaze and he bent down to be on level with her. He watched the gears grating and churning within her mind, analyzing everything she could have done.

"If it weren't for you, Rebekah and Hope would not have had a chance." His voice brought her wavering eyes to meet his. "You have continued to stand by my family without fault, a feat my own parents could not achieve. It is because of your magic that my sister and daughter are safe. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

His words penetrated deep inside her soul, sending warmth and appreciation through each fiber of her being. Audrey's small frown turned into a lopsided smile and Klaus leaned forward to press his lips to hers. She gently grasped the sides of his face, moving her lips fluidly over his. For the time being, thoughts of Esther had been temporarily knocked from her head. That is, until a shrill shout from upstairs made them break apart. Klaus kissed her once more, muttering having to get back to Finn and Audrey let her fingertips run over her lips as soon as Klaus left the courtyard. She had been worried that her relationship with Klaus would have crumbled with Hope's absence, but it only proved how much they both needed each other. Her bliss was sharply interrupted when she felt another presence inside the courtyard. This one was full of rage and perched about twenty feet behind her.

"Well, well." Audrey stood and turned herself to face Davina. Both witches stood in silence for a long moment, each sizing up the other. Then, a sudden gust of wind blew through the courtyard and the doors Davina had entered through were slammed shut behind her. The younger witch felt a pang of fear course through her veins as Audrey stood coolly, but she would not waver.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Davina?" Audrey's arms crossed over her chest.

"Where is Klaus?" Davina mustered up the courage to speak.

"He's busy." The other witch snarled, but it slowly dissolved into a sly smirk. "Although, I'm sure Marcel can take a break from torturing your little boyfriend."

"Leave him alone." Davina glowered at her, a sour look strewing over her features. With a shout, she snapped out her hand and pushed her magic against Audrey who braced herself against the attack with both palms open. She held the magic there, testing its strength between her fingers before charging it and sending it back Davina's way. It hit her hard and she flew through the air. Her back hit the double doors she first entered from and she tumbled to the cement ground. Still knocked dizzy from the hit, Davina struggled to get to her feet as Audrey sauntered to her.

"Get up!" Audrey hissed through gritted teeth. "I'm getting sick of you trying to interfere."

The young witch used her pain and anger and flung her hand out in Audrey's direction. Her body was thrown up and back, crashing onto the surface of the table where she had been working. Glasses smashed and vials of herbs cluttered to the floor. Audrey huffed, not expecting such power from a pipsqueak like Davina, but she let that teach her to not underestimate her opponent. The witch brushed off her clothes and straightened herself to her full height. A low chuckle passed her lips as she examined the mess on the table.

"That was good, Davina." She applauded the young witch who kept her guard up. "That almost hurt."

"I promise you I can do a lot more damage," Davina threatened.

"If believing that helps you sleep better at night, then be my guest." Audrey laughed melodically. "You know you're just a scared little girl. I can feel your fear. It's pathetic."

Davina's teeth dug into her bottom lip and grated across it roughly. Her powers were weaker that Audrey's and she hated it. She hoped deep down that her secret weapon from Kol's clubhouse in the cemetery would help her win this fight.

"What's going on here?" Marcel appeared on the stairwell, his gaze shifting between the two witches.

"Marcel, just the vampire I wanted to see." Audrey sang. "I think it's time you sent Davina up to her room."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child." Davina hissed at the witch.

"Now, now, Davina. The grown-ups are talking." Audrey tsked, earning yet another glare from the young witch.

Davina lifted her hands, ready to strike Audrey down with magic, but it was Marcel's form sprinting down the steps that stopped her. He didn't want to get in between the two, but he knew that Audrey would crush Davina if she were given the chance.

"Whoa, D, today is _not_ the day." Marcel told her calmly.

"Actually," she turned up her chin defiantly at him and glared. "I think it is." Davina held out her hand and twisted her wrist quickly. Marcel's neck snapped all the way to the right and he crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"Ooh, you're so gonna be grounded when he wakes up." Audrey chuckled. "Is that what you came here to do? Snap necks?"

"I'm not leaving until Klaus is gone."

"Good luck with that one."

Davina had heard enough talking. She braced herself and sent waves of magic toward Audrey who was ready and waiting for her. Audrey's hands stopped the magic, holding it between her spaced out palms before directing it at the shattered glass that had littered the floor. The shards lifted, hovering at eye level in front of the witch for a moment. She then sent them flying towards Davina who had been too late to block herself from the hail of glass. The pieces embedded themselves into her skin and Audrey simply smirked seeing her bleed.

She then pushed onto Davina with her magic, making her knees buckle under the heavy weight. Davina struggled to stand, but managed to halt the weight from crushing her by emitting her own magic. Audrey bent her knees, allowing herself to lean into her powers as she felt Davina push back. Both witches continued to add more and more power, the mix of white and red auras building between them. Neither witch was backing down from this fight. When one pushed, the other pushed back even harder, refusing to waver.

Suddenly, the pressure that had built up between them exploded violently. The witches flew backwards from the force and the compound shook with the magic that pin balled off the walls. Windows were blown out, the glass raining down upon them and even the floor had begun to crack. Dust trickled down from the ceiling and the doors rattled on their hinges. Once the magic had evaporated, the entire compound went silent and the witches remained motionless on the floor.

The double doors swung open and Klaus sauntered in, his gaze flitting about the disheveled room. He then saw Audrey who had been lying closest to the door. At first he panicked, but upon approaching her, he could feel her heartbeat as he cradled her in his arms. He watched her eyes move back and forth behind her closed lids as she began to awaken. A groan from the other end of the room made his head snap up and he saw a struggling Davina trying to get herself to stand.

"What did you do?" He asked her gruffly, eyeing the drooling cuts and swelling bruises on her skin that already started to form.

"She came for you." Audrey's weak voice reached his ears.

Klaus glanced down at her before swooping her up and gently placing her down on her feet. "I leave for two minutes and you're trying to blow the compound down."

"It's not all my fault." The witch smirked.

"I'm glad you two are enjoying your moment," Davina growled. "Because it's about to be your last."

Audrey moved to rush at her, but Klaus firmly held her back. She didn't fight him, her attack on Davina left her weak. The Original hybrid squared off in front of Davina, a gleaming smirk painted his lips as his fangs protruded from his mouth.

"Let's end this, shall we?"

* * *

Rebekah braced her hands against the counter top of the diner's bathroom. Her breath came out in short pants and her mind was a tangled mess of questions and panic while Hope sat comfortably in her baby carrier, completely unaware of her aunt's horror. She'd finally made it to the location Klaus had given her after what seemed like an endless drive. True to Klaus' word, Elijah had been waiting there for them, however Giuliana was missing. When asked what happened, Elijah quickly dismissed the issue, fabricating some story about how she was needed at the compound. Rebekah knew that was a lie. Klaus swore that Giuliana would be with Elijah given the circumstance of their mother's cruel magic and it didn't make sense that she would just abandon him to go back to the compound. It also didn't make sense that Elijah's car was still in the parking lot of the diner.

Pushing that aside, Rebekah continued to hold a conversation with Elijah when she began to notice something odd. A dribble of blood was splattered along Elijah's collar. That was so unlike him. Elijah always made sure he looked presentable and the blood stain was out of character. Rebekah also noticed a smear of blood on the wall to the right of the door. Upon entering the diner she hadn't seen it, but now sitting in the booth it was clear as day. She then politely excused herself, claiming that Hope needed a diaper change and the scooped up the toddler in her arms. Swinging the diaper bag over her shoulder, she scurried to the bathroom and was greeted with more bloodstains on the wall by the kitchen door. Elijah's back had been facing her, so she gently kicked the kitchen door open with her toe to reveal a pile of bodies strewn on the floor. It was Elijah's handiwork and before she would let herself get caught by him, she disappeared into the bathroom.

The blonde Original was unsure of how to approach this. All she knew was that she had to get out of the diner with Hope in one piece. She furiously texted Giuliana, Klaus, and even Audrey, but of course none of them had replied back. Rebekah looked down at a sleepy Hope and shook the fear that was clutching at her heart. She'd risk her life to keep Hope safe, even if that meant going toe-to-toe with her brother. Taking a calming breath, she placed the diaper bag on her shoulder and gripped the handle of the carrier with the other hand. She pushed open the bathroom door with her elbow and walked back up to the table as if nothing had happened.

"Well, she is all sorted and ready for an adventure!" She announced cheerfully as she approached the table. "Aren't you, my love?"

Elijah smiled and stood hearing her. He helped her to place the carrier down in the booth along with the diaper bag. He looked down at Hope who was now fast asleep. Rebekah swallowed deeply as she watched him tuck her pink blanket up higher on her.

"It's difficult to believe we were this innocent once." He sighed deeply. "We mustn't let the world ever hurt her."

Rebekah nodded understandingly, keeping her careful eyes on her brother's form. "You're right. We mustn't."

Suddenly, from behind Elijah came two olive-skinned hands. They gripped Elijah's neck and snapped it roughly to the right. A loud crack erupted and he collapsed onto the floor of the diner. Rebekah's mouth hung open as Giuliana bent down to pick up Elijah's body and place him into the booth. The brunette vampire gave a sigh of relief and wiped her hands on her jeans.

"Sorry I'm late." She said to Rebekah.

"You should be saying sorry for not answering my texts." The blonde Original countered.

Giuliana shook her head. "I couldn't have him know I was on my way back here."

"On your way back?"

"It's a long story." Her reply came with a frown that Rebekah didn't like. "Come on. I'll get him in the car. You get the baby."

"Where the hell are we supposed to go with a body and a baby in the car?" Rebekah hissed.

"I don't know. Just follow me." Giuliana hoisted Elijah's form over her shoulder and made her way outside while Rebekah fumbled in her purse for her phone. She quickly dialed the number she needed and clutched it to her ear.

 _"Rebekah?"_

"Nik, it's me. Something's wrong. Elijah slaughtered a dozen people, whose only sin was their terrible taste in food. I mean, when have you known him to kill when he could otherwise compel? It's the kind of act that will draw our mother's attention." She rambled.

Klaus remained silent for a few long seconds before speaking. _"Her torture must have affected him more deeply than I'd realized. Where is he now?"_

"Giuliana broke his neck to keep him down, but I have no clue what to do next."

 _"Do you recall where we dined the Christmas after we fled Mikael?"_ He asked her.

Rebekah wracked her brain. They spent so many Christmases together after fleeing from Mikael, but one in particular stood out. "Of course-"

 _"Go there. Now."_

* * *

Without waiting for confirmation, Klaus hung up the phone and winced as Audrey pressed a sharp, clear crystal against the skin of his palm. It hummed with energy and Klaus could feel his own returning to him. Davina had been a sneaky one. She'd poisoned her blood with dark magic to neutralize Klaus as soon as he fed from her; just like she had planned. With Klaus incapacitated, she and Kol, who'd managed to free himself from his manacles, were ready to get rid of the Original hybrid for good. Marcel had woken up in time to hold Audrey back from tearing Davina and Kol to shreds for what they'd done. Just as Marcel was at his wits end arguing with both women in between him, his salvation came in the form of a blonde bartender. Cami entered the compound with strange puncture marks running along the length of her spine. Kol knew the marks, Esther had prepared Cami to be make her a vessel for Rebekah should she chose to live life reborn as a witch.

Everyone in the room was in agreement that Klaus was needed to take on Esther except for Davina. Even Kol had seen the light and realized his bastard of a brother would be able to take down their mother. With all eyes on her, Davina regrettably removed the poison from Klaus' veins and grumbled about how he'd live another day. Audrey immediately ushered everyone from the room and used her crystals to further purify his blood. He could feel his strength returning, in no time he'd back on his feet. The witch placed the last of the crystals in a pouch and removed the one on his skin.

"I could kill her for what she did." Her body thrummed with anger as she busied herself with gathering her herbs and crystals.

"There's no sense in that love." He tsked and rose slowly from his chair. "She is merely a Harvest girl and wouldn't stand a chance."

"I'd still want to." She mumbled and busied herself at the table. Klaus walked to stand behind her and watched her for a moment. He then placed his hands over her shaking ones. She was angry, he could feel it rushing through her veins. He hugged her close to him, hoping to keep her from exploding.

"You're trembling." He whispered in her ear. As though his words were a drug, she relaxed in his hold and let out a shaky breath.

"What can I say," she hummed. "I don't like being challenged."

Klaus smirked against her ear and pressed his lips to the shell of it. "And people shouldn't if they know what is good for them."

Audrey laced her fingers through his and lifted them to her lips. She gently kissed the backs of his hands and leaned her head back into his shoulder. Her anger dissipated into nothing and they soaked in the silence of just being in each other's arms. A moment that was seldom had in New Orleans.

"Klaus, have you seen Elijah?" Hayley's voice shattered their quiet moment and the couple unwrapped themselves from one another. "There's something I need to tell you both."

"You can tell me on the way." Klaus' hand gripped Audrey's and he led her to the door, past Hayley.

"What?" The werewolf followed them. "Where are we going?"

Klaus turned to face her, a smile on his lips. "To see our daughter."

Hayley's confused expression melted away and she was now beaming with joy. After four long months she'd finally be able to hold her little girl in her arms. She rushed to meet Klaus and the two headed for the door, but Audrey released herself from Klaus' hand. He looked back at her, a frown upon his features, but she silenced him with a smile.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up." She gestured back to the table as if she needed to gather her things and Klaus nodded before leaving with Hayley.

While Audrey was over the moon that Klaus and Hayley would be able to see Hope, a worry she'd kept at the back of mind was now clawing its way forward. With Hope now very prominently in the picture, that meant more dangers would come out of the woodwork. One thing she knew for certain, she'd kill anyone who would harm the little girl she'd been protecting for four months. Audrey didn't like children by any means, but she was Klaus' daughter and she had to be kept safe no matter the cost. She knew that she was not Hope's biological mother, but she felt a strong connection to her without even meeting her. Gathering her things, Audrey took one last look at the compound and left it behind. At least until they were needed back in town again. And with New Orleans, she knew that time would be soon.

* * *

Hello everyone! I hope everyone has been doing well :) Please give this story some love ;) Have a Happy Easter and Passover to those who celebrate xoxo

 **BrittStar1199:** Thank you so much for reviewing! Yes, gurl! Audrey did need to teach Klaus a lesson, but I think the events in the previous chapter needed to happen in order for Audrey and Klaus to become stronger than ever. They are both on the same page, more or less. Elijah and Giuliana will get smut, I promise ;) It will be soon! Hold out a little bit longer, love. Hope you enjoyed the newest update!

 **grapejuice101:** Thank you, thank you! Hope will definitely be in the next chapter. I love writing Mikaelson family moments :)

 **NicoleR85:** Thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this update!

 **CarlyLynn:** I'm glad Elijah is awake too, but I am sad that he is still not himself :( Thank you so much for reviewing :)


	9. Map of Moments

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 9: Map of Moments**

Beta: PrincessofSilence

Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Originals. I only own my OCs.

* * *

"Make sure it's hanging straight, Giuliana!"

"I'm trying!"

"Well, you're not doing a very good job. Put it up higher!"

"Stop complaining, Rebekah! I'm a vampire, not a giant!"

The blonde vampire huffed as she watched Giuliana tilt uneasily on a ladder while trying to hang a Christmas garland along the gutter of the house. After snapping Elijah's neck, Rebekah followed Klaus' explicit directions to their safe-house. While on the run from Mikael, the Mikaelsons were able to hide out in a charming house in Arkansas. It had served as a haven for the siblings and where a lot of happy memories were created with them all being together.

Rebekah hung a festive wreath on the door just as Giuliana stepped down off the ladder to admire her work. The green eyed vampire was waiting for Rebekah to poke fun at the job she'd done with the garland, but she was pleasantly surprised when she received a warm and cheerful smile. Giuliana swore she hadn't seen Rebekah this happy in a long time. Perhaps the spirit of the holidays really did behold some magic.

"It looks positively charming!" Rebekah bounced happily on the balls of her feet. "Perhaps all of this decorating will lighten up Elijah's grumpy mood."

"You know he can hear you, right?" Giuliana tucked the now empty brown box that held the garland under her arm. "He's still mad at me for snapping his neck."

"Well, I won't have my mood be ruined by his." She opened up the front door and she and Giuliana entered the house. Rebekah took a bottle of wine from the wall rack in the kitchen while Giuliana disposed of the box in the garbage.

"Well, isn't this place rather nice!" The blonde pranced into the living room where she found Elijah leaning against the fireplace, deep in thought.

"Nik must have compelled a wine-lover to keep it up, because I found a 2005 Bordot!" She added and offered the bottle to her brooding brother. "Fancy a sip?"

"I appreciate the sentiment, Rebekah, but I do recognize when I'm being handled with kid gloves." The Original continued to stare into the roaring flames in the fireplace.

His sister frowned and put down the bottle. "How are you feeling?"

"Patronized." He grumbled and turned away from the fireplace to look at Hope who was laying down in her play pen. Her tiny hands reached for the stuffed animals that hung above her and she cooed softly.

"I am here to protect you." He said, his eyes not leaving his niece.

"I know you mean to, Elijah-"

"And yet, you find it necessary to render me unconscious before bringing me here?"

"Well, don't let Rebekah take all of the credit." Giuliana smirked from the doorway of the room, but it melted when he wouldn't even look at her. "Besides, you weren't yourself."

Rebekah's nervous glance passed between the pair. One so obviously reaching out while the other hid away in the shadows. "What happened back there?"

"I don't know." Elijah's jaw tensed as he spoke. "Niklaus sent me to protect Hope. My job is to keep her safe."

* * *

Sometime later, Rebekah had taken Hope outside in her carrier and she gently rocked herself beside Elijah who just stared down at her. The blonde Original continued to keep herself busy while Giuliana was pacing inside, unsure if she should approach Elijah. When they were in the house, he woldn't even look at her. It was like he was angry with her for treating him like a piece of glass and walking on eggshells around him. It pained her to see that the had gone backwards as opposed to going forward. He was retreating further into himself and Giuliana waned to take his hand and pull him into the light with her, but Esther's magic would dig it's claws into him to yank him back. She made a promise that she would help him and help him she would.

Deciding against wasting a sunny day inside wallowing, the green eyed vampire moseyed on outside and quietly leaned herself in the doorframe of the front door. She saw Elijah glance at her from the corner of his eye, acknowledging her presence in silence and nothing more. Hope's eyes immediately moved from her uncle to the female vampire and she gave a toothless smile. Giuliana wiggled her fingers at the baby and smiled back at her, all the while, Elijah remained quiet and stoic. The baby quickly turned back to her uncle, who hadn't moved and Giuliana raised an eyebrow at him. Hope was practically asking to be picked up and Elijah was...afraid, looking at his niece as if she had been spun out of the clearest glass.

"Well, are you going to pick her up or just stare at her all day?" Giuliana's cheeky voice made Elijah's gaze snap to hers. She was smiling at him, a sight he missed seeing while in his dark nightmares. He gave her a small smile back and reached down to scoop up Hope into his arms. He let her legs push up to stand on his lap and held her underneath her arms. Hope looked around, taking in the new scene of the porch from Elijah's lap.

"Hi, sweetheart." He greeted and Hope placed her fist in her drooling mouth. Giuliana moved Hope's baby seat over and plopped herself down in the chair next to Elijah. Out of the corner of her eye, she kept glancing over at him. She so badly wanted to speak, but she couldn't find the right words to say. I'm sorry for snapping your neck. You were really heavy to carry out to the car. Why can't you just talk to me?!

"Well, are you going to say something or stare at me all day?" His voice was just as cheeky as hers had been.

It was as if he heard the inner workings of her racing mind and Giuliana blanched at him with her mouth wide open before relaxing back in her chair. She chuckled softly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I guess I deserved that one." She said, a slight blush creeping along her cheeks as she suddenly lost all will to think about what she wanted to say to him.

"I must offer my apologies for what happened in the diner." Luckily he had spoken before she had to chance to let the jumbled words fall from her lips.

"Your mother made you kill all those people in an attempt to draw Rebekah and Hope out of hiding."

"No," he shook his head. "I mean before that."

Her eyes met his and she recalled how he compelled her to leave the diner and not come back for him. In his own mad mind, he wanted Giuliana away from him as to not hurt her in anyway, however watching her leave in a hurry was as painful for him to witness and as it was for her to go.

"I wanted to keep you out of harms way." He continued. "Clearly in this state I cannot control my actions."

"It isn't your fault." She said. "It's your mother. She controls the magic. All of this is her doing."

"If I continue to tell myself that, then I am condoning my own actions which is something I absolutely cannot and will not do."

Giuliana frowned and watched as Elijah positioned Hope, so she was now sitting in his lap. She nestled into his suit jacket and cooed quietly, as if she wanted to give the pair some time to speak.

"She's wrong, you know. Your mother." Giuliana spoke. "When I look at you I don't see a monster."

Their eyes met again and Giuliana swore the breath had been stolen from her lungs. To see Elijah in such a state of struggle only made her want to get closer and fix him, but even she had her doubts that he was beyond repair.

"What do you see?" His question hung in the Arkansas air and she gave herself a moment before replying.

"I see a man who will stop at nothing to keep his loved ones safe." She told him.

Something within Elijah's dark eyes shifted, something that she just could not place, but it brought her a feeling of comfort having said that to him. He then gave her a lopsided smile before turning back to Hope who was pawing at his silk tie. Just then, Rebekah emerged from the woods, her arms filled with a pile of thick logs. Once she reached the house, she placed them down in a shallow hole in the ground by the porch and tried to arrange them accordingly , so they would all fit snuggly. Giuliana saw Elijah's eyes twinkle with a familiar memory.

"Is that what I think it is?" He asked her.

"It's bonfire season!" She proclaimed happily. "And I am reviving a family tradition! Especially since we're all going to be together."

"What is bonfire season?" Giuliana asked.

"I'll explain once everyone is here." The blonde swayed excitedly and looked to her brother with a sweet look in her eyes. "Oh, please, Elijah? Please, please, please?"

"Only because we're fleeing from one of our deranged parents." He agreed and Rebekah continued to gather wood and place it into the fireplace. "Another Mikaelson tradition. It's a peculiar thing- never to be tired, yet forever exhausted by the sameness of things."

His voice trailed off as Rebekah joined them on the porch. Hope smiled up at her aunt and Elijah watched her face light up the whole world. How could this little girl have been the cause for so much trouble within their family. It seemed as though the Mikaelsons were never in agreement with much of anything no matter how many decades had passed, they were always bickering and fighting. Elijah had grown exhausted from it.

"Why is our family always at war?" He asked his sister.

"I don't know." Rebekah shrugged and brushed her fingers along Hope's arm. "But, being away with her made me see things differently."

Giuliana looked upon Hope with nothing but love in her heart. "I can imagine."

"We're not so bad. We're not the monsters that our parents think we are." Rebekah spoke softly.

Suddenly, all three vampires turned their heads in the direction of a black SUV that approached the house. Its tires kicked up the gravel of the driveway before it slowed to a stop. Klaus hadn't even put the car in park and Hayley was already leaping out of her seat. She rushed to meet Elijah, Rebekah and Giuliana who had stepped down off the porch to greet them halfway. Hayley was rooted in her tracks as soon as her eyes laid on her daughter who had grown so much in the time she's been hiding away. Klaus finally caught up with her and he too felt himself completely moved to silence at the sight of his little girl. He fondly remembered leaving Hope in Rebekah's care and he was now looking at his beautiful daughter. Audrey was the last to join them, staying just off Klaus' right shoulder, not wanting to interrupt the sweet reunion between the them. She'd seen Hope mature from a baby to a toddler when she checked on her, but for Klaus and Hayley, they were seeing their daughter for the first time in months.

Elijah wasted no time, stepping up and handing Hope to her mother. Hayley took her smiling daughter in her arms and hugged her tightly, tears pricking at her eyes. Klaus joined Hayley, hugging Hope and peppering her soft skin with even softer kisses. Both parents were near tears as their daughter babbled happily in their warm embrace. It was as though they were holding their hearts outside of their bodies and watching it beat. Giuliana felt herself tearing up and so did Klaus' siblings, but not all shared the same sentiment. Audrey seemed to inch further away from embraced trio, her mind a siege of chaos. A complex mix of emotions waged war inside her, each vying to vanquish the others. She pressed her lips into a thin line, fearing she might explode in a mess of magic and she let the heel of her boot move over the gravel beneath her.

Never had she felt so out of place in her entire life; so stuck between wanting to be involved or to take off running.

* * *

"Curse on the first-born?" Rebekah questioned. "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"

The siblings all gathered around the unlit bonfire and hashed out all the Esther had said about Freya and their Aunt Dahlia. Hayley had put Hope down for her nap and anxiously paced while Giuliana and a still very quiet Audrey stood next to one another.

"Well, according to Finn, our sister Freya didn't die of plague. She was taken as payment by our aunt Dahlia, who then cursed all Mikaelson first-borns for eternity." Klaus explained.

"Is any of this true?" Hayley asked, her voice laced with concern and she stopped her pacing.

"It is if we are to believe Finn, who learned it from the bastion of truth-our mother." Elijah said.

"Well, no wonder Finn hates us." Rebekah frowned. "He lost the sister he adored, and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull."

"Well, it's not your fault for finding him dull." Audrey piped up and Klaus quietly smirked back at her, happy to hear her voice join the conversation. "I sat with him at dinner and even I can tell you, he is about as intriguing as watching paint dry."

"That's very true." Giuliana nodded. "But what does this all mean?"

"Yeah. Is there any chance of us running into your loony aunt Dahlia any time soon?" Hayley wondered.

"The fable's over a thousand years old. Dahlia is long dead." Elijah replied.

"So were Esther and Mikael." Giuliana glared. "Look how that turned out."

"I'll do some more digging, but I agree with Elijah. I'm sure Dahlia is dead and gone." Audrey said. "I think Esther is just trying to bait us and draw us out."

"No one's going to hurt Hope, because no one's going to find her." Klaus promised, silencing all forms of doubt within the group. His gaze then travelled to Rebekah who was still working with the wood and shook his head. "There's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas."

"Well, we're just missing a key ingredient!" She said and rubbed her palms on the legs of her jeans.

Klaus immediately gave his sister a sigh and a roll of his blue eyes. "No, we're not."

"Yes, we are, Nik! Back me up, Elijah!" Rebekah gleamed at her brother.

"I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes." Elijah chuckled heartily.

"What are you all talking about?" Hayley asked.

"Well, before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck. It was Kol's favorite part when we were kids!" Rebekah explained excitedly.

"It's further evidence as to why we should ignore it." Klaus grumbled.

"Hope's first bonfire season." Hayley mulled the idea over in her mind before a wide smile pulled at the corners of her lips. "I like it! We're doing it! Come on, ladies"

Hayley rushed inside to grab some paper while Rebekah smirked smugly at her less than enthusiastic brothers. Giuliana and Audrey followed the hybrid mother into the house and began to look inside the study for some paper. Hayley placed Hope down in her play pen who had started to whimper softly. All three continued their search, however Hope was not happy that the attention was suddenly off of her. Her whimpers became a little louder and she was pouting, her blue eyes shifting between the three women in the room. Hope then started to cry and little tears dribbled down her chubby cheeks.

Hayley frowned at her daughter. "She's probably hungry. You guys keep looking and I'll get her bottle ready."

"You got it." Giuliana nodded while still looking for the paper. She pulled out a stack from a high shelf and started ripping it into stacks as Hope's cries got louder.

"Oh, come now." The green eyed vampire tsked. "Mommy will be back soon."

Audrey moved further and further away from Hope as she cried. Not having a lot of children in her family, she didn't exactly know what one does with a crying baby. She hoped that eventually when Hayley came back with a bottle that she'd stop, but what on Earth do you do with the baby in the meantime? Should it be left alone? Should it be coddled? Perhaps she was the reason why her parents only had one child. Maybe she was too difficult as a baby. She watched in horror as Giuliana waltzed over to the pen, scooped up Hope as if she weighed nothing and cradled her in her arms, shushing her quietly.

"There, there." She sang to Hope. "There's no need to cry."

The witch kept her eyes down on the shelf and her fingers moved around frantically. Where the hell is the damn paper?!

"Giuliana! Can you help me with something in here?" Hayley's voice called from the kitchen.

"Sure!" The vampire then moved to Audrey who was on edge. "Do you mind holding her?"

"I...uh," Audrey was stammering, an action that was foreign to her.

"Here, just hold her." Giuliana extended her arms with Hope in tow, but Audrey shifted back a step.

"I...I don't know how." She wrung her hands nervously in front of her.

"Giuliana!" Hayley called again.

"Coming!" Giuliana shouted. "Here just take her. I'll be two minutes."

"But I never held a baby before." Audrey said. "And what if she keeps crying?"

"Then you rock her gently." She said and handed a crying Hope to the witch who continued to protest despite her arms reaching out to take Hope. "Good, now make sure she's supported."

"Please just take her back!" Audrey was as tense as ever and on the verge of tears.

"I'll be back in two seconds!" Giuliana countered.

"She hates me. See, she's still crying. Children don't like me." She rambled, looking very out of place with a baby in her arms. "I told you she hates me."

Giuliana was about to retort, but in the midst of Audrey's panic, she realized that Hope's cries had quieted significantly. The baby had her eyes locked on Audrey and she sniffled as she calmed down. Audrey caught onto Giuliana's shock and was sent into her own. She and Hope stared at one another in silence and even Giuliana was in awe of what happened. As good as she was with babies and children in general, she was never able to quiet a baby that quickly. Audrey's nervous eyes flicked between the baby in her arms and the baby vampire.

"What do I do now? She stopped crying. What do I do?" Audrey was now frantic again.

"Just relax. You're doing fine." Giuliana cooed. Hope was now fully calm and sucking her fist into her mouth. "She likes you."

"How can you tell?" Audrey asked. "She didn't even say anything."

"She stopped crying, right?"

The witch blanched, but that quickly faded to a small smile that could have easily been missed. Audrey looked at Hope again to see she was smiling now too, her tears had dried and she was in a much better mood. She'd never gotten to see Hope in person after she was born because Klaus sent her away with Rebekah at the first opportunity he could. Audrey would check on her from time to time to make sure Esther was nowhere to be found, but to see Hope now was something she could never had prepared herself for. Hope smelled of baby powder and freshly washed linens. Her small hands reached up toward Audrey's face and the witch recoiled slightly, but Hope brushed her fingers along the witch's cheek. Audrey froze at the soft touch, unsure of how to receive it, but her fear slowly melted away looking into those sweet blue eyes that Hope shared with her father. For four months, this baby was hers to watch over until such time Hope could meet with her mother and father. Audrey never felt a more fulfilling feeling in her life than looking down at the child in her arms that she helped to keep safe.

"Hi there." She spoke softly, fearing that speaking too loudly would upset Hope. The baby's hand reached for the tendrils of black hair that rested at the nape of Audrey's neck. The witch recoiled slightly, but Hope's small fingers gently caught her hair, cooing as the strands brushed against her skin like a raven's feathers.

"I figured it out. It's all goo-" Hayley stopped in her tracks seeing both women standing in silence with Hope in the middle. Audrey partly tensed up again, unsure of how Hayley would react to her holding Hope, but she didn't seem upset in the slightest.

"Everything alright?"

Audrey opened her mouth to reply, but she was stopped by the front door opening and Klaus entering the room. His stare was immediately focused on Audrey and Hope, the latter gurgling happily seeing her father coming towards them. The witch, however, was still slightly in shock that Hope had managed to stop crying so quickly.

"There's my two favorite girls." Klaus kissed Audrey on the lips and Hope on her forehead, making her giggle even more. He took Hope from Audrey, who was quite happy to give the child up, however she found herself wishing to take Hope in her arms seeing her look over her father's shoulder as they left the room. Hayley followed Klaus with the baby bottle in hand while Audrey remained rooted to her spot, looking after both mother and father.

Giuliana gently touched the witch's shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"

The witch blinked a couple of times. "I don't know."

* * *

As the sun began to set against the Arkansas sky, everyone had written down their wishes for one another and gathered outside to cast them into the bonfire. Audrey kept unfolding hers, reading it over and folding it tightly again and again. The brothers talked with Hayley, each smiling down at Hope while Giuliana stood off to the side, enjoying the calmness that surrounded them. The safe house was secluded without a soul in sight. Woods dressed with tall trees hid the house from view and Giuliana knew why the Mikaelsons chose this house to escape to. She could almost picture them sitting inside around the fireplace or having a quiet meal together and hoped that they would be able to share more moments of that nature when Esther and Mikael were taken care of.

She then stole a glance at Audrey who was nervously crumpling the ends of her wish between her nimble fingers. She normally wouldn't have noticed it, but the sounds of the paper being crushed and smoothed out again were cutting through the sounds of the crackling fire. The entire day Audrey had been quiet, reserved, uncomfortable. It was so unlike Audrey to act this way. Giuliana tried to peek at the wish, but she couldn't do so without being obvious.

"Hey! Look what I found!" Rebekah called excitedly and waved an item that was clutched in her hand. It was a bulky Polaroid camera that had been stashed away in one of the closets upstairs. "I wonder if it will work."

"Oh, bloody hell." Klaus groaned, not wanting to partake in this.

"Come on, let's try it!" She joined the group and handed it to Klaus. "Hey, Nik, do you think you can cram us all into a selfie?"

"Oh, Niklaus is a virtuoso at cramming his siblings into confined spaces." Elijah chortled.

"Well, I'm just glad I traveled hundreds of miles to visit my mentally ill brother, only to have him insult me to my face!" Klaus grumbled.

"Oh, come on, just take the picture!" His little sister rolled her eyes and everyone squeezed in close. Audrey was on the outside of Klaus, a dainty hand placed on his chest. Hayley and Hope were on the other side of Klaus followed by Rebekah, Giuliana and Elijah. The green eyed vampire smiled sweetly for the camera, but her breath caught in her chest feeling Elijah's hand snake around her waist. She cast a sideways glance at him, but he continued to look at the camera, so she did the same. Klaus held up the camera and everyone smiled as his finger pressed down on the button. The camera made a sound and the film came out of the bottom, which Rebekah took out of the slot and waved it in the air. Slowly, the picture developed and they all looked upon their smiling faces.

"Aw, see?" Rebekah grinned and studied the photo. It really was a good picture of all of them. Everyone was looking at the camera lense and no one's eyes were closed. "I wish that it could always be like this."

"If wishes were horses..." Elijah murmured.

"Beggars would ride." Klaus sighed ruefully. The group continued to gaze upon the photograph, but it was the immortal hybrid's smile that soured first.

"You realize we'll have to burn it." It was the thing no one wanted to hear, but Klaus was right. Everyone's smiles suddenly melted into drawn long stares. "You want me to make a wish for the family, Rebekah? I wish it didn't have to be like this. But, it does."

"We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands." He handed the photo to Hayley who reluctantly took it between her fingers. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Klaus was right. If this picture got to any of their enemies, Hope would be in immense danger and that was a risk she was not willing to take. Hayley took one more long look at the photo before letting it fall into the bonfire and turning away from it. She couldn't bare to watch the faces of the people she called her family burn and char into nothing.

"No! This isn't right!" Rebekah cried sadly. "We deserve this. We've earned this. I won't let it slip away. I know what to do to stop Esther."

"Rebekah, no-" Elijah tried to interject, but his little sister's mind was made

"I'm going to take her deal," the blonde vampire said. "And when I do, I'm taking her down with me."

* * *

"This is madness." Klaus' gruff admission sent a shiver up Audrey's spine. She pulled her jacket tighter around her body as the pair slid through the thin opening of the metal gate to the cemetery. A hooting owl sat perched up in the hollowed hole of a towering tree and crickets played their eerie song against the backdrop of the night sky.

Despite everyone's protests, Rebekah would take Esther's deal in the hopes of putting her down once and for all. Her siblings fought her tooth and nail, but Rebekah was unmoving. Her time spent with Hope really made her remember what it was like to be a human and to feel alive. She swore when she rocked Hope to sleep that she would give up anything to have that feeling back again and she was finally presented with the opportunity. By taking Esther's deal to become reborn as a human, her siblings had to think of a way to bring down their wicked mother once and for all. It was risky, but they had to try.

"Of all the idiotic things my sister has done over the years, this is the worst."

"Rebekah is a grown woman, Klaus. She must make her own choices." Audrey told him.

Klaus jogged forward a bit to catch up with her quick strides. "Normally you'd be one to agree with me."

"Can't a person change their mind?" She chuckled. Her hybrid counterpart zoomed ahead and stopped right in front of her. Audrey halted, almost slamming into his chest.

"You've been quiet; distant." He mentioned and she stayed silent, keeping her eyes locked with the ground.

"It's nothing. Just a long day." She tried to sidestep him, but he was quick to stop her again. He placed his large hands upon her shoulders, holding her in place so she wouldn't continue on without him. A hand under her chin made her blue eyes meet his own and Klaus searched for an answer from her that would explain her odd behavior.

"Klaus..." Trepidation reflected in her icy gaze and her voice shook as if she'd been left out in the freezing cold.

"Audrey, please." He had become worried now. Never had she been so hard to read. While Audrey was a powerful witch and a force to be reckoned with, her features would always give way to how she feeling. Standing before him now, she looked like a blank canvas, void of any color.

"I just realized," the witch broke his stare and dug her hand inside the pocket of her jacket. In between her fingers was a small folded piece of paper which she extended out to him.

"I never told you my wish." She watched as he weighed the paper in his hands. Her heart rose up to sit in her throat, waiting for him to speak. She thought about her wish long and hard all day, but as soon as she held Hope in her arms, her fingers didn't hesitate to scrawl the words onto the paper. Klaus' fingers slid under the fold, just seconds away from opening the paper, but shouting from further within the cemetery made them both stop and listen.

"Mother, please! You can't do this." Rebekah cried.

"I must. The spell has already been started." Esther reassured her in a calm voice.

Klaus cursed his family's impeccably bad timing, pocketed the wish and he and Audrey rushed through the cemetery, following the voices. Soon they were at the very same alter where Hope was to be sacrificed by Genevieve and her coven. Esther stood near and alter with Kol by her side and Rebekah across from them. An overturned hourglass sat between them on the alter along with a sharp athame.

"Mother, think this through. You gave birth to this body, you can't destroy it!" The blonde pleaded.

"I am only destroying its flesh! Your beautiful soul will live on in the body of another." Her mother smiled. "I have chosen well for you. A beautiful girl. Strong."

"Mother! Stop the spell!" Klaus bellowed from the top of a roof of mausoleum. Audrey then appeared from beside Kol and used her magic to make him drop to his knees.

"You and your traitorous son." The hybrid added, his eyes glaring at Kol.

"Nik, I didn't know anything about it, I swear." Kol gritted through his teeth.

"Sure you didn't, you coward." Audrey squeezed her hands into tight fists, making Kol sink further into the dirt.

"Oh, good. I'm glad you two boys are friends again." Esther said, finally realizibg that Kol had betrayed her. "I did wonder what you'd been up to in your time away. Now, I know."

"Stop the blasted spell!" Klaus growled.

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

"Anything is possible." He said before stepping in front of his little sister. "Take me instead."

Rebekah blanched, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Nik, no!"

"If only you'd taken my offer when it was still mine to give! Unfortunately, you've left me no choice but to make a deal...with Mikael."

"Mikael?" Rebekah shrieked.

"When Finn and Kol went missing, I needed a new ally. All he wanted was the right to kill you." Esther explained and trailed off to glare at Klaus, but quickly turned her attention to a writhing Kol.

"Kol, I would ask you to deliver the stake to your father, but it seems your loyalties have been compromised." Esther sighed in disapproval.

"Soon, he will be compromised when his head is detached from his shoulders." Audrey threatened.

Esther glanced over at Audrey and her murderous expression faded to a somber one. "Pity. You'd so easily kill someone's child."

"And you wanted to kill your own granddaughter, so what's the difference?" The other witch hissed. Clenching her fists, Kol shouted out in pain and doubled over on himself.

"You seemed to be very protective over a child that isn't yours." She frowned.

Audrey turned an extended hand to Esther, imparting her powers on her as well. The elder witch wavered on her feet, but held both hands, flexing her fingers toward Audrey who flinched, but kept herself split between both Esther and her snake of a son. Klaus let out a feral growl, launching himself at his mother, but she was quick to restrain him with her magic.

"You hate all of your children." Audrey gritted. "That's why you're giving them an ultimatum. You can't even love them for the disservice that you've done to them. The way I see it, you're the monster."

"They've become monsters on their own accords." The elder witch protested. "It's a shame you can't see that."

"Stop the spell, Esther!" Klaus shouted, his muscles contorting against his mother's magic.

"No, it's okay, Nik." His sister consoled him. "I can do this."

"Rebekah, step back." Audrey warned her. Esther was quick to act on her opponent's distraction. She threw Audrey into a large headstone, her head cracking loudly against it. The skin on her forehead split open and ruby red blood painted her pale skin. Esther chanted over her weak body and just as Klaus was ready to burst, he heard the one word he'd been waiting to hear from Kol.

"Now!"

In seconds, Klaus' plan was set into action. The sand in the hourglass had almost run out and with Esther's focus on Audrey, he was free to move. He flashed to the altar, grabbed the athame and stabbed Esther in the neck, digging the sharp point in her. His mother fell to the floor of the cemetery, finally dead, just as the rest of the sand left the hourglass. Klaus backed away from her lifeless body, stunned at what he had done while Kol tended to Rebekah's unconscious form. He then peered over at the bloodied tombstone to see that Audrey was gone. Panic flooded him, knowing that there was no way she could have gotten away and found cover so quickly. He called her name loudly, but was met with silence. Even Kol admitted to not seeing her. His angry eyes fell to his mother and within moments, her body was flung over his shoulder and he disappeared into the night.

* * *

Emerald eyes twinkled in the light of the fireplace as they scanned over the yellowing pages of the book in her lap. Giuliana had been amazed at how many books resided in the modest library inside the living room of the Mikaelson house and since no one was occupying it besides her and Elijah, she decided to save herself from impending boredom and forget about the world around her for a spell. With Rebekah, Klaus, and Audrey gone to deal with Esther and Hayley and Hope strolling about the outskirts of town, Giuliana was so enthralled in the silence of the house that she almost didn't hear Elijah's footsteps approach the archway of the room. He'd kept his distance from her all day, but that was mainly because there were more people in the house to distract him. Now he was alone with the only person who seemed to know him better than he knew himself at the moment.

Giuliana lifted her gaze from the book, her index finger keeping her place and she smiled at the Original. She'd hoped he wanted to talk more about his current predicament, so she wanted to thaw him out slowly.

"Can't sleep?" She asked him, shifting her position to let her crossed legs hang from the armchair.

Elijah was hesitant at first, but he took her bait. "I'm afraid so."

The young vampire kept her eyes trained on him for a few more moments before going back to reading. A few moments had passed before hearing Elijah step further into the room. As much as she was bursting that he was opening up to her, she knew she had to be patient with him.

"May I...ask you something?" His speech caught her off guard, but she quickly covered it up and nodded.

"Of course." She closed the book with a soft thunk and placed it down on the coffee table. Her attention was now solely on him and while it was something he desperately wanted, it made him even more anxious as she stared into him with her emerald eyes.

"How did you manage to break my compulsion?" He asked her. "You're a young vampire and that compulsion should have lasted till the end of time or until I revoked it; none of which had happened."

Giuliana breathed in deeply and pushed herself up from the couch. She walked to meet him, with one hand in the pocket of her jeans. She'd already mulled over the words in her head, knowing she'd have to come clean sooner or later.

"I figured you'd ask." She admitted before retrieving a gold orb from her pocket. The outer layer was decorated quite elegantly with swirls and curves on the outer layer. Rather than explain herself, Giuliana placed the sphere in Elijah's open palm. He rolled it around and examined it closely. His thumbnail flicked the latch on the top open and he brought it to his nose to smell. He recognized the scent immediately, a dull burn registering in his nostrils.

"Klaus gave it to me before you and I left to meet Rebekah." She said hesitantly, unsure of his reaction to her having vervain in her pocket the entire time. She watched as he closed the latch and handed it back to her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but...Klaus was worried that I was going alone with you to the diner." She explained while trying to read his expression.

"No need for apologies." He shook his head, finally meeting her eyes. "After my indiscretions last night, I cannot be trusted."

"Do you really think I believe that?" She asked him. "Elijah, there is no one I would trust more than you."

The Original held up his hand, a low ember of anger in her naivety. "Do not say words you do not mean, Giuliana."

"But I do mean them. Every word." She stressed. "The only reason I came to New Orleans was because you told me that you would keep me safe."

"And it seems I have gone back on that promise." He replied gruffly.

"Not of your own free will!" The vampire protested.

"Giuliana, please-"

"Please, what, Elijah?" She threw her hands in the air frustratedly. He remained silent and turned his back on her, his gaze was now trained on the glowing embers in the fireplace. "When will you see that I would follow you into the darkness and follow you out? What will it take for you to see that?"

A gust of wind brushed against her cheeks and Elijah was standing toe to toe with her. He stared her down, his rage bubbling beneath the surface even with his attempts to calm himself. In his rush, she flinched and that further added to Elijah's guilt, but he kept that part of him hidden away beneath the shadows. He met her deep green gaze and he watched her swallow thickly before he continued speaking.

"If you plan to do what you say you will, then you will meet your own end." Wisps of dark veins pulsated along his cheekbones while his dark eyes seemed to grow impossibly darker and became tinged with red. She knew why he was showing her this part of him. He was hoping to frighten her away like he had done at the diner, but in a surprising act of bravery, she stepped closer to him and gently placed her hands upon his cheeks. His veins throbbed violently against her fingertips until she softly brushed them into nonexistence. Slowly, she watched him revert into the dapper Original she knew; the man she had fallen in love with.

"Look at me." Her request was a simple one, however he did not follow it. In every effort, he tried to avert his eyes, but she held him firmly in place. When his eyes finally did meet hers, she ran her thumb along his tightened jaw line.

"When you look at me, what do you see?"

It was the same question he had asked her just hours earlier and her answer was still on repeat in his mind despite what his wicked mother had done to distort it. Her words echoed like a beacon of light in the dark, guiding him back to the man he wanted to become. Looking in her eyes now, he could see nothing but warmth and light, both forces he wanted nothing more than to gravitate to. He felt the entire world fall away from under him. He could hear nothing, but the crackling of wood in the fire place. He could see nothing, but her; the woman he had fallen in love with.

In a rush, Elijah had Giuliana's back pressed against a tall bookshelf at the opposite wall of the room. Her body slammed against it with such force, that some books shook and fell from their place on the shelf. His lips fused to hers and Giuliana's arms came up to snake around his neck. Her nails raked through his locks and a gruff growl erupted from his chest. He pressed her back harder into the bookcase and hiked her legs up around his waist. Giuliana locked her ankles tightly together and purred against his lips feeling his hardness nestled between her legs. Her nimble fingers fiddled with the buttons of his dress shirt before becoming frustrated with them and ripping it down the middle. The crisp sound of the stitches severing from the fabric was heavenly and in close competition with the sucking noises he made with his lips against her throat. His tongue traced her heated skin and she whimpered while mapping out every taut muscle on his chest. Blissful sighs fell from her like water from a fountain and she let herself become enveloped in the very essence that was Elijah Mikaelson.

Suddenly, the Original found himself seated in the armchair closest to the fireplace with a disheveled Giuliana atop his lap. He leaned up to place his hands on her waist, but Giuliana pressed him back down into the cushions with a smirk painting her swollen lips. Her shirt joined his tattered one on the floor and she bent down to press kisses along his neck. Her hands immediately went for his belt, weaving the expensive leather off from around his waist and depositing it onto the floor despite his wriggling beneath her. He let out a loud gasp when he felt her fangs brush against a vein in his neck and one of his hands found her long tresses, knotting them around his fingers. He yanked whenever her teeth nipped at his skin, his nails digging into her aching scalp. She was purring against him, her body writhing to meet his own. She pierced the flesh of his neck and Elijah groaned loudly, his pleasure amounting to unreachable heights as she daintily sucked the blood from his veins. The hand in her hair slid back to the base of her neck and gently squeezed, making her unlatch her fangs and peer down at him.

She smiled, her supple lips painted with his blood and he leaned up to kiss the ruby red paint away. Giuliana squealed against his lips feeling him stand and lift her up by her rear with him, but kept her lips fused to his. Elijah then carried her to the coffee table in front of the fireplace and laid her down on top of it. He yanked her pants off roughly and snapped her panties to the floor with a flick of his wrists. He crouched down over her naked body, his hands squeezing and tugging and kneading her olive flesh as if to imprint himself onto her, so she would never forget how his skin felt against hers. With her feet, she managed to push his own garments down his legs and finally, blessedly, their naked bodies were nestled together. His hand reached between them, palming his rigid length before roughly sheathing himself deep inside her. The back of Giuliana's head connected with the mahogany coffee table and a long, loud moan tumbled from her lips.

Elijah's forehead pressed into hers, his hot pants tickling her breasts as his thrusts kept up a steady pace. Giuliana pulled him closer to her, her hands desperately searching for something to cling to, so she settled her digging her nails within the skin of his strong back. She could feel the sinew and muscles shifting with each buck against her. His lips were at her ear now, his gruff moans only spurring her arousal even further to her much needed fulfillment. The heat of the fire played along the backs of his legs and tickled her lower body, adding to the many sensations that were going haywire inside her. Elijah's thrusts abruptly quickened, his hips snapping harshly as he sensed her tightening around him. Giuliana raked her nails down his back, beads of red emerging from the skin appeared as swiftly as they disappeared. Her moans grew louder and she thanked the gods that no other homes were in the area. She was losing herself in him and part of her wanted the whole world to hear it.

"Elijah..." His name sounded like a sweet honey on her lips and that only made him more ravenous. In one movement, he gripped her wrists, extracted her nails from his back and pinned them down on the table. He stared down at her, bare and wantonly his. Elijah's fangs were now present and he flashed them at her, holding her down and pounding into her until the right moment. It didn't take long, for her eyes rolled back in their sockets and her mouth opened, breathy pleas of him to join her fell upon his ears. The Original buried his fangs within her neck and Elijah was certain her shrill screams could wake the dead. Her body convulsed only as much as Elijah allowed it and she rode the waves of her orgasm while drank, moaning into her skin while spilling himself inside her. Giuliana let her body shake before falling limp and Elijah drank till he was drunk off her. He extracted his fangs and lapped up the closing wounds with his tongue. He watched her eyes dance behind drooping eyelids and he delivered one final kiss before they both succumbed to the darkness from the final embers in the fireplace dying out.

* * *

 ***kicks down door* Sorry for the late updates everyone. It's been hectic with the school year finishing up, graduation and rehearsals for a musical that I am in this summer. I hope everyone has been enjoying their summer.**

 **Looks like Esther is up to her old tricks again. What do you think she did with Audrey? Klaus never got the chance to open Audrey's wish, what could she have wished for? Do you think Elijah and Giuliana's newly budding romance will stay strong? Or will Elijah's demons force Giuliana out of his arms and into another's? Let me hear what you think!**

BrittStar1199: Thank you so much for reviewing! I think Audrey's fear is very real. It was explained a bit more in this chapter, however we still do not know what her wish for the bonfire was. You will find that out in the coming chapters ;) Davina is probably my least favorite character on the show because she is immature like a child. Don't get me wrong, Danielle Campbell is absolutely GORGEOUS (seriously, she's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen), but Davina still has a lot of growing up to do. Hehe, you asked for smut and you got it! I wanted to keep the tension between Elijah and Giuliana going the entire chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it.

NicoleR85: Thanks so much for reviewing Nicole! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far :) I hope you liked this chapter! Which couple do you like better? Klaus and Audrey or Elijah and Giuliana?

CarlyLynn: Thank you for reviewing Carly! It makes me so happy that you're loving what you're reading! What do you think Audrey's wish was?

xJenzaFreakx: Hello my friend! Thank you as always for leaving a solid review :) It makes me sad that people stopped watching both shows. I'll admit, I fell off the wagon a bit and have been using the summer to play catch up. I will continue to write as long as I have material to write with, so no worries there! I am over the moon that you feel my OCs fit in so well with the story. I find that's a more difficult aspect of writing with original characters. I want them to become so blended that a newcomer can't tell which is which. You're awesome! I hope you have been enjoying your summer :)


	10. Gonna Set Your Flag on Fire

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 10: Gonna Set Your Flag on Fire**

 **Beta:** PrincessOfSilence

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing of The Originals. I only own my characters and my story.

* * *

"What have you done?" Esther whimpered weakly, her eyes leaving the blood pack on the cement floor to fall on her son.

"I've done what every good son does, Mother! I've followed the example of my parents. You taught me exactly how I should treat you." Klaus kicked the blood bag closer to her and she flinched away from it. "So, now, you can either be the thing that you hate the most, or you can be dead."

"No..." she whimpered.

"Your choice. Which is more than you ever gave us."

"You're a monster!" His mother seethed, hot tears streamed down her cheeks.

Klaus smirked evilly, letting his hybrid features show as if to taunt her. "That I am."

For the first time in a long time, Esther felt truly powerless; her magic had been stripped from her and she was on the verge of death with a very important choice to make. Would she fall privy to Klaus' deal and become the very thing she hated? Or could the witches help her regain her powers once her soul left the earth? She eyed the blood bag, a deep thirst had begun to erupt within her and it wasn't until Klaus shoved her back into her crypt did she tear her gaze away.

"Now, where is Audrey?"

Esther peered up at him with angry eyes and didn't respond to which Klaus chuckled low in his chest. Her expression then changed to one of aloofness.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play stupid, mother. I want you to tell me where you sent her," he chided her.

Esther moved to sit up on her knees. "I'm telling the truth. I don't know where Audrey is."

Klaus' anger bubbled deep within him. "Tell me, or Finn is a dead man."

"No! I swear! I don't know where she is," she proclaimed, the aloofness was now replaced with fear. "Klaus, you have to believe me."

"A fool's bet." Her son growled and looked down upon her like she was the scum of the earth. "Have it your way, mother. I promise you that when Audrey returns, you'll have to worry about her wrath more than mine."

"Your father was right about her." She shook her head and Klaus quelled his anger enough to listen to her. "She's a distraction, always has been. After your father did away with her, you were never completely whole. She's hooked her claws in you and turned you away from what was really important: your family."

At that, Klaus laughed in her face, the very sound echoing off the brittle skulls that lined his mother's final resting place. He moved in closer, his booming laugh dimming down to a chuckle. "Oh mother, your imposing death is making you delusional."

Esther cowered from him, nestling back deeper into her tomb as is finally realizing that she was going to die here alone. A chill ran up her spine and her eyes found the blood bag at her feet. She did have a choice, but how far was she willing to go for it?

Without another word, Klaus turned his back on her, leaving his darling mother to toil over making a choice he thought would be easy.

Oh, how wrong he would be.

* * *

"Audrey?" A soft female voice cooed and the owner of the name began to stir slowly. Only one of Audrey's eyes opened as she was roused from her sleep. The other was nearly swollen shut, a dark purple bruise covering her eyelid. Her bones and muscles ached from all the thrashing about. Audrey tried to sit up on her own, but was met with much difficulty. Rebekah placed a hand at Audrey's back and eased her to sit against the bed frame.

"What happened to you?" Rebekah looked upon her friend sadly.

"I don't remember much of last night, but I do know that I fought and I lost." She mumbled, finding it hard to speak with a busted lip. Her eyes fell closed and behind her lids played bits and pieces of what occurred last night.

"Let go! Let me go!" Audrey's shrill voice rang through the halls as two large men carried her thrashing body. She whipped and fought and bucked against their harsh grip at her arms, but they remained unmoving and continued to drag her screaming body.

"Stop struggling!" A strong male voice commanded, but Audrey was relentless. The two men entered a bedroom at the end of the hallway and inside was another girl struggling to be held down onto one of the cots.

"Take your bloody hands off me!" The dark skinned girl bat her hands at her captor. "My name is Rebekah Mikaelson! Do you have any idea who I am?"

The two men carrying Audrey threw her down on the lumpy mattress. One held her firmly against it while the other reached into his pocket. A chill ran down Audrey's spine as he fished out a handful of pills and approached her.

"Open up, deary," he cooed. The other man's hand gripped at her jaw, roughly wrenching it open while his comrade angled the pills at her mouth. Audrey yanked her head out of the one man's grip and swiftly bit down on the hand that was feeding her. He howled in pain and Audrey refused to let go even when the metallic taste of blood hit or when her teeth were chomping on bone. A hard punch to her ribs made her screech after hearing a loud crack and the man's hand was released from her jaws. She spat out the blood and in the moment she had realized Rebekah had gone silent in her cot. With another man free to do their bidding, they all pounced on the witch, lifting her kicking body from the room and bringing her to another. The pain in her ribs ebbed with every movement, but she refused to stop fighting.

"Bloody hell. You look terrible."

"Yeah, I hate you too." Audrey took a look at Rebekah's new body again. "I guess it wasn't a dream then."

Rebekah shook her head and frowned. "No."

"Damn." She sighed and tried to get herself to sit up, but she just fell back onto the bed. Rebekah then guided her up, taking in more of her haggard appearance. Her knotted locks hung around her ghoulishly pale and bruised face. The eye that was not swollen was bloodshot, reddish veins making tracks along the white of her eye.

"Did they make you swallow those pills?" Rebekah asked her and Audrey nodded her head slowly. "I hid them under my pillow."

"Good. At least we know these wardens can be fooled." She mumbled. "Help me up, will you?"

Rebekah stood first and offered her open hands to Audrey, who took them frailly. She gripped them as hard as she could and pushed herself to stand up. Audrey wobbled on her feet, but Rebekah steadied her until she could stand on her own.

"They shouldn't have done this," Rebekah said quietly, rage harboring inside her.

"Don't worry. They'll get their own." Audrey gripped the bedrail and maneuvered herself around the cot to the doorframe of the hallway.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm looking for a way to get us out of this hell hole." Audrey looked to Rebekah from over her shoulder and gave her a smirk. "You coming?"

* * *

Across states, another body rose from a far more peaceful nights sleep than that of the witch. Giuliana was greeted by the morning sun breaking through the sheer gossamer curtains that were draped over her bedroom windows. The sheets skimmed her body as she rolled over and she was greeted by the cool air ghosting over her exposed skin. Her fingers were caught in her tangled hair as she tried to comb her unruly curls. Her muscles ached deliciously, a reminder of what had happened the night before.

It was then that she suddenly remembered exactly what had happened last night. She sat up abruptly, clutching the sheets to her naked body and her eyes darted about the room. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she did recall the feel of the embers from the fireplace against her already heated skin. Giuliana felt her cheeks blushing at the memory of her and Elijah making love and she bit her lip to try and hide her smile. She then became aware that her quick motions might have woken him up, so she slowly looked to the other side of the bed.

However the spot beside her was empty and cold which made her heart sink deep into her stomach and her shoulders fall forward. Had Elijah regretted their time spent together? Was he embarrassed? Ashamed? Giuliana rubbed her hands over her shoulders as her brain ran a million miles too quickly for her heart to catch up. Had she pushed him too far? Did he feel the same? Or were his intentions tarnished by his mother's wicked ways?

The agitated vampire threw the covers off her body and stomped to her adjoining bathroom to wash off the reminders of last night, but she often found her mind wandering to how Elijah's lips kissed every surface of her skin or how his hands cradled her shivering form in the throes of her orgasms. Those memories were quickly squashed thinking of the place in bed beside her that was cold. She emerged from the shower clean and slightly less upset about the Original that had managed to steal her heart and stomp on it.

Giuliana reached the bottom of their stairs just as she tied her damp hair in a bun and was greeted by the sounds of Hayley cooing to Hope in the kitchen. The sight of it made Giuliana smile and she pressed a kiss to Hope's forehead.

"Good morning ladies."

"Morning," Hayley smiled and continued to clean up the plates on the counter. "I'm sorry. I was hungry, so I made breakfast, but you were still sleeping."

Giuliana waved her hand animatedly and walked to the fridge. "No, no. It's alright. I'm going to make something now."

"So, how was your night last night?" Hayley asked.

"It was fine," Giuliana replied and continued getting the things she needed from the fridge. When she closed the door, Hayley was staring wily at her with Hope on her hip.

"What?" The vampire turned away to place the ingredients on the counter.

"Just fine?"

"Mmhmm."

Not satisfied with her friend's answer, Hayley leaned herself against the counter and watched her friend begin to make breakfast. She waited a few more moments for Giuliana to sing like a canary, but when she didn't, Hayley cleared her throat.

"You know, I am a werewolf and we have a very keen sense of smell." She explained. "It smelled awfully heady in here when I came home."

Giuliana dropped the spatula onto the counter and finally turned to face her friend. "Alright! Jeez! I get it! It smelled like..."

She trailed off seeing Hope in Hayley's arms, not wanting to fill her head with an inappropriate vocabulary. She bit her tongue and rocked on her heel while Hayley was grinning at her from ear to ear.

"So...you and Elijah?"

"Yes, Elijah and I did do...what you think we did." The vampire watched her friend's grin grow impossibly wider.

"Finally."

"Great. As if I couldn't feel any worse about myself." Giuliana huffed and returned to her breakfast. "It's bad enough you know and it's even worse that Elijah didn't—"

"Didn't what?"

Crap.

Giuliana whipped around with her mouth wide open to see Elijah standing in the doorframe of the kitchen with a large brown paper bag in his hands. She rocked nervously on the balls of her feet and fiddled with the spatula in her hand, trying to think of a way to cover up her embarrassment, but it was too late, Elijah had heard it all.

"I...uhm, what I meant was...I..." She was stammering like a fish out of water. If she didn't feel like an idiot earlier, she sure as hell felt like one now.

"You forgot to tell him you needed eggs from the supermarket, so I told him." Hayley jumped in and started taking items from the bag that Elijah had set down on the counter. Giuliana went back to making breakfast, her cheeks hot with a mixture of anger and shame.

"See?" Hayley held up the container of farm fresh eggs before placing them neatly in the fridge. "Plenty of eggs for everyone."

The vampire was so enthralled with watching her own eggs cook in the pan that she hadn't responded to Hayley, nor hear her leave to change Hope. She did, however, feel the stare of the Original behind her. She flipped her eggs over and dared to look up at him, further damning herself into turning into a puddle of want at his feet.

"Good morning." He greeted, a hint of a smile at his lips.

"Morning," she replied.

Elijah looked as if he wanted to say more, but what more could he say? He could feel her anger welling inside her and he couldn't blame her for being unhappy with him after last night. They spent a passion filled night together, their whispers of lust feeding their innermost desires until they were both satiated. Giuliana had fallen asleep in his arms, unable to keep her eyes open, but her lover was far from relaxed. The Original looked down at her spent body and watched the nightmares from his mother take over. Instead of a body covered in love bites, Giuliana's was marred with bruises. Her olive skin had become broken, damaged, pale, and cold. Her closed, sleep-filled eyes were suddenly open with a horrified expression holding them. Lastly, her lips which he had kissed were pulled apart as though she was screaming for mercy at his bloodied hands. In a panic, he had backed away from her, willing the nightmare to go away, which it did, but his heart was still hammering away inside his chest. He brought her upstairs to her room, laid her down on the bed as if she were a delicate flower and disappeared into the night. He didn't know where to go, but he had to just get away.

"Sleep well?" Her question caught him off, punishment for doing the same to her just moments earlier.

"No." His reply made her stomach drop as though she'd been kicked hard. "Giuliana, I'm s—"

"Sorry?" She whipped around to face him, mix of anger and sadness painting her features. "Yeah, me too."

In seconds, she zoomed out of the kitchen, leaving the Original burned just like the eggs she'd forgotten in the pan.

* * *

"Now that we've entombed our mother, I intend to finish making the city safe for Hope. Which, to start, means dealing with the lingering problem of Finn." Klaus announced. A group of them had been called to gather in the living room area of the house after Klaus had introduced Cami to Hope. Elijah stood the window, the farthest from everyone else and certainly the most detached. Cami sat on the couch while Giuliana leaned against the bookcase, opposite from Elijah.

Cami heaved a heavily sigh and held her hands under her chin. "Oh, once he figures out what you've done to your mother, he's gonna go off the deep end."

"Yeah, putting literally all of us in hot water." Giuliana added bitterly.

"That's exactly why we need to keep you out of harm's way." Klaus pointed to Cami. "Hayley, Giuliana, and I will return home and take care of my wayward brother. Elijah will remain here with you."

Giuliana wanted to protest. Cami staying with Elijah would not end well. At least having another vampire in the house would even the playing field slightly. Hope was a factor as well. What if Elijah's shadowed nightmares took over and went for Hope? Elijah would never forgive himself if he allowed that to happen. Cami chewed on her words and her bottom lip, nervously glancing between the pair of brothers.

"He's been experiencing some side effects since his ordeal as our mother's captive. Best he stay here and convalesce." He smirked at his brother's back.

Elijah finally turned to face his brother, offering him an offended look, clearly patronized by his brother.

"A single violent outburst at a filthy road-side café, and one never hears the end of it." He sighed heavily.

"Oh, Cami has a way with minds plagued by demons, brother. You two can bond!" Klaus chuckled excitedly. Giuliana looked between Elijah and Cami, possibly wondering if her anxiousness could outweigh their own.

"Well, if you excuse me, I best be on my way!" Klaus stated with a smile. "Rebekah should have already woken up in the body of Angelica Barker. Once she has cut the ties of Miss Barker's former life, she'll make her way directly here. You should expect her shortly."

* * *

"This place sucks." Audrey groaned as she and Rebekah walked downstairs. Shortly behind them walked Cassie, the Harvest girl whom Esther had taken control of. She too had become stuck in the house shortly after Esther's soul had left her body. She warned Audrey and Rebekah that there was no escaping the Fauline cottage and while many witches had tried and failed, death always awaited them no matter how close they came.

"Don't say that too loud." The tiny redhead piped up from behind them.

"What? I'm just speaking the truth." She mumbled.

"Don't let them hear you." Cassie hushed back to her. Audrey rolled her eyes as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Who?"

Cassie ducked behind the two girls just as a figure walked past them. She was a tall blonde haired woman with deep scars embedded in her cheeks. She scanned the witches up and down, scrutinizing their every detail. When she was finished, she stalked away from the trio, leaving them to their idle chatter.

"Them." Cassie replied once the woman was out of ear-shot. "The Kindred."

"Oh, I don't know if I'm in the mood for a longwinded history lesson." Rebekah moaned.

Cassie ignored the comment and cleared her throat. "Years ago, they got obsessed with dark magic; necromancy, immortality spells. So, the coven locked them up here. Since then they've kind of put themselves in charge."

"I imagine I have some sore at me for trying to kill them last night." Audrey continued weaving throughout the house. She came to a large family room of some sorts where the other witches were keeping to themselves. Some sat in front of an old TV while some played games at corners of the room. Thin beams of sunlight crept through the boarded up windows and a thick layer of dust covered just about every surface in the house. Some members of the Kindred were scattered about the room, keeping a careful watch on the lot of witches who all kept their heads down.

"They say this place is haunted." Cassie spoke up.

"I don't blame them for saying so." Audrey replied, a frown pulling at her lips. "This place is awful. This room should be pulsing with power, but...it's dead."

"How'd it get like this?" Rebekah asked.

"There's lots of versions of the story, but they all start the same way- with Astrid Malchance and Mary-Alice Claire." Cassie gestured to a wall with two portraits hanging on rusted nails. The women were young and vibrant, such opposites of the house they called a prison for many years.

"Any relation to Davina Claire?" Audrey wondered, her eyes finding similarities between the two women.

Cassie nodded. "She thought she could betray one Mikaelson brother without another sneaking up behind her and sticking a knife in her back. She and Astrid came to this house in 1914 and never left."

"Serves them both right." Audrey smirked. "Stupid girls."

"Audrey!" Cassie hissed and the witch's smirk only grew wider.

"What? And Mary-Alice's little living descendent is a real pain in my ass."

"You mean Davina?" Rebekah asked.

"We're not on the best terms." She said. "She keeps trying to kill my boyfriend and she's lucky I don't rip out her intestines and use them as a hula hoop."

The Original looked back at up the portraits on the wall and a cloud of dread washed over her as she thought of the fate those two girls shared. Betraying a Mikaelson always ends in death or worse. "What happened to them?"

"They were imprisoned here over a century ago by your brother." Cassie said sadly. "Then, the coven started to put others here too. Ones broken by magic; witches like me."

"So, that's it, then? They just lock you lot up and throw away the key?" Rebekah asked.

The tiny redhead shrugged. "The most you can do is try to keep your head down. Witches have tried to make it out of here, but no one has ever made it out alive."

Audrey uncrossed her arms from her chest, clenching her fists at her sides. "That's ridiculous. I'm not staying in this asylum."

"And how do you propose we get out?" Rebekah crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an answer worth her while. Audrey jutted out her hip and bit her bottom lip as she scanned the room. She saw no phones hanging on the walls, so asking for her one phone call was out. The windows and doors were also spelled to stay completely locked no matter how much force was slammed against them. Audrey was then distracted by the girls at the table; one of them had dropped some tiles onto the floor. One of them skittered to the toe of Audrey's boot. The letter T stared up at her and an idea suddenly sparked in her head. She picked up the tile and showed it to the two witches.

Rebekah quickly caught onto her while Cassie seemed unsure. "We just send them a message."

* * *

In the courtyard of the compound stood two distinct groups. One were creatures that fed on blood and could only walk in the sunlight with a lapis lazuli ring. The other were slaves to the full moon and beastly creatures of the woods where they called home. Both sworn enemies since the beginning of time, but today they were in the same space facing one another in an effort to reach a truce of some sort that would benefit both sides. Hayley stood at the head of the wolves with Jackson by her side while Marcel stood opposite her with a couple of his key vampires just off his shoulders. Giuliana and Josh hung towards the back, wanting to stay as much out of the frontlines as possible.

"So, anyone else getting some serious West Side Story vibes right now?" Josh whispered to her.

"Are we the Sharks or Jets?" Giuliana nudged him with her elbow.

"I don't know, but you have to admit, Sharks is a badass name for a gang." He said.

"Oh, we're a gang now?" She chuckled.

"At this rate, we might as well be the Montagues and the Capulets." His eyes found Aiden across the room who was obviously with the wolves, but Josh wished he could be with him.

Giuliana frowned. "I'm sorry Josh. I know you like Aiden. Maybe this will all die down soon."

"And if it doesn't?"

"They can't tell you who to love." The vampire sighed, her mind going to Elijah and wondering how he was doing with Cami. As much as she still wanted to be angry with him, she loved him and didn't want any harm to come to him. "It just...happens. You can't control it."

"Looks like the two of us are having some relationship issues." Josh murmured.

"At least Aiden looks at you. Elijah can't even be in the same room with me and not want to rip my throat out with his teeth."

"I thought that would sound hotter coming out, but I was wrong. It's downright terrifying." The male vampire pursed his lips.

"So, I have to ask," Josh's voice trailed off and Giuliana looked to him to finish his train of thought, but all he did was wiggle his eyebrows at her.

"Oh God, you're worse than Hayley," she mumbled.

"Was the, "Oh God" a bad one or a good one?"

Giuliana could feel as though every vampire was looking at her, but in reality they were still concerned with the finer points of the upcoming truce that would hopefully be put into place. She then realized the only one in the room looking at her was Josh and she knew he wouldn't leave her alone until he got his answer. She tried to fight the smile that found its way to her lips.

"Oh, that good, huh?"

"It was, but...it didn't feel like it was really him." She said, but Josh looked as confused as ever. "His mother's curse...I still think its impacting him. I don't even know if he truly wanted to do it. Maybe it was just the curse and Esther wanted to prove a point to him?"

Josh was frowning now, knowing all too well the burn of being with someone who didn't truly want him for him. "Well, then the next thing you have to do is break that curse. Then you'll know if it was real or not."

"I hope it was." She whispered more to herself than to Josh. She loved Elijah, truly loved him. She wished on every star in the night sky that he would return it. A grumbling from the crowds made the two vampires draw closer, eager to hear how the negotiations were coming along.

"You wolves are here because you want freedom. And, I promise you, if you stay, you will be free. But..." Hayley looked to Marcel who seemed to be intently listening to every word. Her people came to try and form a truce and she would do her best to make sure her people were protected.

"We need as much help as we can get." She added.

"My vamps and I are willing to stand with you against the witches. In return, all I want is a promise that there will be peace between our sides after the wedding." Marcel brokered.

Jerick, a burly werewolf stepped through the crowd of his pack to meet Marcel halfway. "You're the one who spent the last one hundred years killing and cursing us!"

"Which means you might wanna listen to what I have to say." Marcel interjected.

Suddenly, Finn had joined them in the courtyard, interrupting their negotiations. He looked to each side with disdain, silently cursing the existance of each vampire and werewolf in the entire world.

"I see you're brokering a truce between mongrels and parasites!" He called to the crowds and he was met with angry glares. "And just how long do you think that's really going to last? A month? A week? A day? What you don't yet seem to understand is that the only thing that can exist between your two degenerate species is hatred, war, and death."

The warlock was backing away from them now and some stragglers from both sides had broken rank to slowly stalk his movements. Finn continued to move until he was under the archway of the compound. The outliers of each side were ready to pounce, but Finn blew on his fingers, casting a spell over the entire compound. The walls shook violently and those within the compound gripped onto one another to keep themselves standing. Finn then slammed his hand onto the brick of the archway and smirked at everyone's alarmed faces. The trembling stopped and Gia was the first to rush at Finn, however she was stopped by a barrier that burned her hands. Shouting in anger, she yanked her hands away and Marcel joined her. He poured over her healing hands and then to the barrier that was now in front of them.

"But, I imagine, given a little time confined together you'll come to see things the way I do." Finn then turned on his heel and left the group who was both worried and furious about what was to come within the next few hours if something wasn't done.

"We're all royally screwed." Giuliana groaned.

* * *

Rebekah closed the door behind her before she reached into her pocket and spilled some lettered tiles onto the floor. Audrey dropped to her knees and took some more tiles from inside her bra and had them join Rebekah's. With quick ad nimble fingers, the two pieced together a message to send to the Mikaelson brothers. Hopefully this plan would work because without it, they were back to square one.

SOS R AND A WITCH ASYLUM

"All we have to do is just pop this message off to my brothers." Rebekah placed the last tile down and held out her arms toward Cassie.

"Give me your hands and lead the way, I don't know what I'm doing."

"I can't." Cassie shook her head. "The pills they give us are lobilia flower. It makes it impossible to concentrate. No one can do much magic here."

"Those pills pack a wallop." Audrey shook the haze from her brain only to have it swoop back in again. She hadn't been feeling the affects of the pill because she had been in so much pain from her injuries.

"You're a Harvest girl, for God's sake! Now, pull yourself together!" Rebekah huffed and gestured for her hands again. Cassie reluctantly clasped Rebekah's hands and slowly spoke the incantation, so Rebekah could follow her lead. Soon, the girls were speaking in perfect time and a subtle wind began to circle within the room.

"Vain ce message ça a le main sur la vain." The girls repeated their chanting for a few more moments when suddenly the door flew open, revealing a member of the Kindred. She stared down at the three women with suspicion in her eyes before speaking to them.

"Time to eat." Her gruff voice made all three of them rise from the floor and follow one another outside the room, down the stairs and into the dining room like a herd of cattle. The Kindred member closed the door to keep up with the girls and only when everyone had gone from sight, the tiles on the floor were magically scattered out of order.

* * *

"This is getting out of hand." Giuliana pressed her fingers to her temples.

"I agree with Giuliana, things are getting testy out there. Come on, we better move this along." Marcel said.

"Uh, Vincent's boundary is too strong." Kol's confession made the other three vampires audibly groan. "But, what Davina and I can do is cast a destruction spell. It would temporarily neutralize all magical objects in the compound, including the compound itself. If it works? Well, then it will give us sixty seconds to escape whilst the boundary is shut down."

"Fine. Let's do it." The green eyed vampire nodded. "It's the only chance we have, so we might as well take it."

Marcel agreed, looking favorably to Kol. "That sounds good to me.

"If the spell works," Klaus stressed. "It will suppress all magical objects in the vicinity. That means your rings."

Giuliana peered down at the lapis lazuli ring that was perched on her finger. "Dammit."

"And if we go outside in the sun without our rings, we're dead." Marcel sighed.

"Unless you wait for nightfall." The Original hybrid offered to which Marcel cast a look out toward the courtyard to see the vampires all gathered in one corner. A couple of them were anxiously pacing back and forth, making Marcel uneasy about waiting a few hours until night.

"It could work." The green eyed vampire said.

"They're also new. They're not going to be able to fight the hunger. We can't wait until nightfall." Marcel shook his head sadly. Finn had completely managed to screw everyone over by casting a spell that would accelerate the hunger of the vampires in the courtyard. "We're going to have a bloodbath on our hands before we even get close."

"But we can't stay in here with the wolves either." Giuliana pointed out. "What else should we do?"

"Once again, I bring up the very important "if" statement." Klaus mentioned. "Keep in mind, you're resting the very fact that my brother and Davina will complete the spell correctly is on your shoulders."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, brother." Kol mumbled under his breath.

"Don't mention it."

"He makes a good point." The female vampire drummed her thumbs against the iron wrought table, her eyes piercing into Kol's. "We're risking a lot trusting you."

"You're just agreeing with my brother because you don't like me." Kol wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Well, you did try to kill my little sister and then me. Or did you completely forget about that?"

"Still sore at me for that?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a nine-hundred year old grudge, darling."

"Italians are good at holding grudges." She shrugged.

"This bickering is getting us nowhere." Marcel's proclamation brought them both back to the issue at hand.

"Marcel, we have to take that chance. Josh, Gia, and I will be there to help keep the other vampires in line."

"I don't know." He rubbed his temples, feeling a slight bout of hunger scratching at his throat. Giuliana stood from her seat and patted Marcel's shoulder. She could the nervousness within him coming off in waves and she wish she knew what to tell him but she was at a loss for options. She gave him a small smile and left the room, closing the doors behind her, so they could speak in private.

Giuliana took a deep breath, exhaling her anxious fears before walking to meet the vampires at the end of the courtyard. Gia was nursing a bottle of dark brown alcohol while Josh picked at a hole in his jeans. The rest of the vampires were quietly chatting among themselves in an effort to keep their hunger at bay.

"How are we holding up?" She sat beside Gia who took a long swig before answering.

"We're fine for now, but we're losing ground fast. I don't know how much longer we can last." Her eyes then caught movement behind Giuliana and she bad to wonder if she was imagining things, but it wasn't until some of the wolves turned that she realized something was about to go down. One of the vampires had been slowly inching his way toward the wolves as if he was in a trance of some sort. His hands were shaking by his sides and Gia could only guess that Finn had sent him some more hunger pangs.

The wolves could feel his presence getting closer to them and most of them turned to face him, glaring and growling at the unwelcome visitor. The males gently nudged the females behind them in a protective nature and for the most part the two sides were at a silent standstill until one of the wolves, Jerrick, broke rank and marched to meet the vampire.

"What are you looking at?" Jerrick growled and shoved the vampire back.

"You want a piece of me?" He hissed as he regained his footing. Jerrick then picked up a nearby wooden table and smashed it to pieces with his bare fists. He and another werewolf picked up a splintered leg each to use as stakes. They swiped at the lone vampire when Aiden rose to break up the fight.

"Hey!" He called to his pack mates, but they were more concerned with trying to get the vampire away from them. Jerrick whipped around, but Aiden wasn't quick enough to dodge the sharp edges of the makeshift stake. A long, bloody gash donned his forearm and the sudden smell of fresh blood sent the vampires into a frenzy. They all began to creep closer, circling around Aiden and the wolves were rallying together as well. Gia crouched down, hissing and snapping her teeth, but just as she was about to lunge Giuliana tackled her to the ground.

"Gia, no!"

"Just one bite!" She fought.

"I can't let you do that." Giuliana's grip tightened on Gia's wrists.

"Get off me!" The vampire wriggled about, but Giuliana held onto her, doubling down.

Gia lifted her knee, bashing Giuliana in the stomach and with her captor distracted she zoomed for Aiden. She got close to the dog pile of vampires and werewolves, but Giuliana yanked her ankle, sending her flying across the compound. The green eyed vampire remained on her hands and knees, panting heavily but that did nothing to quell the hunger that was stirring deep in her belly. She could feel the taste of Aiden's blood on her tongue as if she'd dug her fangs into the skin of his neck. Her sharp canines pricked at her bottom lip and her eyes became clouded with red ribbons of hunger. The sounds of the fight were slowly drowning out.

Her mind was then brought back to Elijah; poor, tortured Elijah. What she was currently feeling must only have been a portion of what he was experiencing all because his mother wanted to teach him a lesson. Even an Original of his advanced age and restraint had a difficult time keeping his hunger at bay. She didn't know he hadn't managed to rip her throat out the night before. Lord knew he had the opportunity; he had multiple chances to tear into her, but he steeled himself, only drinking till he was full. Her heart sank into her chest at her remembrance of how she treated him this morning. In that moment, she promised herself if she made it out of this alive that she'd apologize to him.

"Joshua! You get away from him right now!" Klaus' booming voice from up on the balcony shook the compound and the thirsty vampires from themselves. In his hunger, Josh had disabled the other vampires from Aiden, but it was only because he wanted the werewolf for dinner. The vampire was pulled off Aiden by a companion while Marcel held Jerrick back. Both sides backed away, retreating to their respective corners of the room. Giuliana got to her feet and helped Gia who had been temporarily knocked unconscious from the blow.

"That really hurt." Gia grumbled.

"Yeah, yeah. You'll thank me later." Giuliana waved her hand through the air.

"Davina! Start the spell!" Marcel shouted to Kol and Davina who were waiting just outside the archway where Finn had trapped the vampires and werewolves inside their prison. Davina started crushing her herbs while Kol readied the space on his side by lighting thick candles near their feet. Klaus descended the stairs of the balcony and both parties shied away from him. He stood beside his brother who was now holding his hands up against the barrier. Davina's hands matched his perfectly and they chanted too quietly for the others around them to hear. The murmurs stayed that way and it became harder to hear as a strong gust of wind tore through the compound. It licked at the candle's flames and snuffed them all out completely.

The compound suddenly calmed and everyone inside had gone silent. Kol and Davina dropped their hands, uncertainty in their eyes as they were not sure that spell had worked. Hesitantly, Davina lifted her hand to the barrier and gently pushed through it. With a smile, she nodded to Kol and took her hand back to her side. Hayley's eyes met hers and Kol waved the wolves onward toward the archway.

"Okay, Jack, now!" Hayley patted Jackson's shoulder.

"Come on, go!" He rushed the wolves out of the compound along with Hayley while the vampires remained in the shadows.

"Remember, sixty seconds!" Kol ushered the last few wolves out and was about to follow them himself, but Klaus appeared before him.

"Slight change of plans, brother." He grabbed Kol's neck and threw him into the compound. He crashed to the floor and cut his forehead while Klaus stepped on the other side of boundary.

"I no longer have to treat you as anything but the treacherous liar that you truly are."

"What the bloody hell?"

"Where are they?" He growled.

Kol was quickly alerted to the hungry vampires at his back, but luckily for him he was encased in a pool of sunlight. For now, he was untouchable, but sunlight would only last until the boundary spell went back up again.

"Please! They'll kill him!" Davina pleased with Klaus.

"Well, he should have thought about that before he betrayed our sister and myself. Rebekah never made it to her new body, did she?" Klaus stared down at his brother, waiting for an answer. "And, seeing as you cast the spell and, well, you're you. I'd hardly call it an uncrackable case!"

"Rebekah's fine, Nik!" Kol explained and walked to his brother. "It was a prank, nothing more than anything you lot have done to me.

"And what about Audrey? Mother has no idea what happened to her, so I'm assuming you're the mastermind behind that as well."

Kol pressed his fingers into the bridge of his nose. "Nik, you have to understand...Mother, she—" He shouted out when he crossed the boundary which had been put back up. He cradled his hand to his chest and realized he was as good as dead. Tears stung Davina's eyes as her gaze flicked from the vampires to Kol.

"Ooh. Barrier's back up." Klaus smirked. The vampires then started to swarm around Kol. "And those vampires look oh-so hungry. Now, I was willing to welcome you back in my home, but you had to return to your petty, selfish jealousies! Well, let's see how well they help you survive when you're stuck in there!"

Davina gripped onto Klaus' sleeve like a child afraid of a storm. "Klaus, please they're going to kill him!"

Klaus yanked his arm from her grasp, her hand falling to rest at her side. "My brother took two very important things from me. Perhaps this will teach him not to betray me for the last time."

He stormed away from Davina who looked back at Kol who was scrambling away from the vampires that were circled around him. He unexpectedly bumped into Marcel who was starving and filled with rage.

"Woah, woah, woah." Kol raised his hands innocently.

"Marcel..." Davina called weakly. He cast a glance at her over his shoulder and after seeing her face, he reluctantly turned to Kol and shoved him toward the staircase leading up to the balcony.

"If I were you, I would make myself scarce. Go!" Marcel blocked the staircase, so the other vampires wouldn't follow and Kol rushed up them without protest.

* * *

After dinner, Rebekah and Audrey snuck back up to their room while Cassie remained downstairs with some of the other witches. Audrey took Rebekah's advice and slipped her pills inside her bra during dinner to avoid taking them and thankfully it had worked. The effects of the pills from the other evening had started to weaken and Audrey was beginning to feel like her old self again. Her powers were gently thrumming beneath the surface and she nestled them close to her until the time would come to use them. To the girl's dismay, the tiles on the floor were still a mess which could mean that their message had not been received yet. Rebekah went for the windows and tried to yank them open, but everyone she came to was locked tight.

"Kol." She growled in frustration, promising she'd kick his ass once she got out of this insane asylum.

"So, why would your brother lock you in this place?" Audrey asked her curiously.

"Probably to play a little joke."

The witch made a face. "Quite the joke."

"Although I don't really know why you're here." She shrugged.

"I'm putting money on your darling mother, but I kinda thought she liked me." The witch said. "Guess not."

"What gave you any indication that she liked you?"

"She seemed awfully concerned with how Klaus and I met."

"I remember that night. He was quite smitten with you." Rebekah smirked.

Audrey smiled. It was the first time she had smiled since she was in this awful place. "I was smitten too."

"I'm just surprised you've hung around this long. I figured after Mikael killed you and you came back from the dead that you'd move on." She sat on her lumpy cot.

"Mikael didn't scare me." She joined her, folding her hands in her lap. "Hayley did."

Rebekah's eyebrows furrowed. "Hayley?"

"Think about it. You come back from the dead to find the man you loved has knocked up some girl and is going to be a father. Part of me is still scared." Audrey twiddled her thumbs. "I feel like I'm an outsider a bit...Hope is Klaus and Hayley's daughter. I don't have any claim to her. I can't make any decisions concerning her, but when I looked into those blue eyes today...I wanted nothing more than to protect her with my entire being."

Rebekah's face softened, her mind traveling to that little baby who changed all of them for the better. "Hope is blessing to us all. Being with that baby for the past four months made me realize what is really important. You miss out on a lot being a vampire. I would have always liked to have children, you know?"

"I'm sorry you can't." She'd always taken it for granted that witches in her coven could pass along their powers to their offspring and while Audrey had no intentions of having a child of her own, her heart ached for Rebekah.

The Original remained quiet for a few moments before a wry smile tugged at her lips. "That just means we get to spoil Hope all we want."

Audrey's grin matched Rebekah's. "Your brother would kill us."

"Oh please. He'll only be a father once." The girls shared a giggle, but that was silenced when the sound of the plastic tiles moving on the wooden floor. They watched in awe as they assembled themselves into an order to spell out a question.

WHO ARE YOU

The Original peered down condescendingly at the tiles. "Rebekah bloody Mikaelson. Who the hell are you?"

They were met with no response. Something then compelled Audrey to remove herself from the bed and kneel beside the tiles. She held her hands out over them, her eyes falling closed as she focused on the energy over them. It was weak, but it was there. It was the first time she felt any inkling of magic since waking up in the house. She pressed the wisps of magic further, asking for some kind of guidance, but was met with nothing.

"Audrey..." Rebekah's panicked voice fell on her ears.

"What?" Audrey's eyes remained closed, wanting to keep her concentration.

"Audrey, look!"

The witch opened her eyes and kneeling opposite her was a woman with blonde hair in a black lace dress with a shroud covering her face. Audrey's blood ran ice cold in her veins and she went to pull her hands back, but the woman clamped onto her wrists. Audrey's eyes instantly turned black and she was shown visions of a woman with dark hair carrying a screaming child away from a crying redheaded woman. The witch felt the chill of the snow falling from the sky and the embers of the camp fire outside the humble hut nestled deep in the woods. She must have been sent back through time, she didn't recognize any of the faces or the place she was in. The child's wailing echoed in Audrey's ears and she felt sick watching the redhead fall to her knees in grief.

"Audrey, stop!" Rebekah grabbed Audrey's shoulders, yanking her back from the ghostly figure. The witch tumbled back and the woman disappeared in a flash. Before Audrey and Rebekah could utter a word about what they just witnessed, the door to their room flew open, revealing two members of the Kindred. They looked at them suspiciously and Rebekah got to her feet.

"She was just here!" She shouted at them as she moved back from them. The shorter Kindred approached her cautiously. Audrey joined Rebekah's side, her eyes moving between the Kindred members.

"No, you don't understand. There was someone in my room! Just listen to me, okay? There's a girl! A girl in black!" In Rebekah's panic, she knocked into her cot and her pillow fell to the floor along with the pills she had been hiding.

The taller Kindred member clenched their fists as the pills rolled along the hardwood floor. "She hasn't been taking her pills!"

They both descended on Rebekah, hands grabbing at her and yanking her this way and that, but they suddenly halted feeling a burning heat come over them. Rebekah looked up to see Audrey's hands outstretched toward the two Kindred. Her fingers glowed a warm red and Rebekah's captors were thrown away from her. Their skin began to sizzle and they wailed out in pain as their bodies burned from the inside out. Their screams were silenced once their vocal cords melted away and all that was left were two charred corpses on the floor of the room.

Rebekah's hands flew to her mouth, a gasp leaving her throat as she stared down at the pair of Kindred. "You killed them..."

Audrey cast a glance at Rebekah over her shoulder. "I couldn't let them bust you for the pills."

The Original was about to speak, but she saw a dark shadow run past the open doorway and down the hall. The two of them immediately rushed after it, seeing it standing before a set of stairs leading to the upper level of the home. The ghost girl ran up them and Rebekah took Audrey's hand as she followed her.

"Here's hoping you're a friendly ghost."

They made it to the top of the stairs and were met with a locked door. Rebekah and Audrey pounded against it, but the door remained shut. Audrey looked for another alcove the ghost could have ducked down while Rebekah threw her shoulder into the wood.

"Stupid human body!" She slammed against the door again, but nothing happened.

"This is ridiculous. Where did she go?" Audrey asked. "And who was she?"

"The hell if I know." A winded Rebekah hit the door one final time and then leaned against the adjacent wall. "This door is locked. There's no way we're getting past it."

"Did we imagine her?"

Rebekah shook her head defiantly. "She was real. She touched you."

Audrey shivered at the memory. "I know."

The girls suddenly felt as though they were at a loss. The door wouldn't budge and downstairs they would have to deal with explaining the two dead Kindred on their floor. Just as they were ready to give up and head downstairs, the door lock clicked and the hinges creaked as it opened for them. Audrey checked for anyone following them before she beckoned Rebekah into the room with her. It was covered in dust; clearly no one had disturbed it in years. It was mainly barren of all furniture except for a coffin wit a clear lid in the center of the room. Resting inside was the blonde haired shrouded girl that had led them there. Clutched in her hand was a blue and silver necklace that hung around her neck.

"What the hell?" Audrey whispered, unsure of what to think of their discovery.

"Why do they have a girl in a bloody coffin in here?" Rebekah drew closer, but was afraid to investigate further.

"I don't know, but—" A loud creaking noise from outside the room made Audrey hold her breath. Had more of the Kindred come for them? Or had their ghostly friend decided to join them? They both took one final look at the coffin before leaving the room and entering back into the hallway. As soon as they were out of the room, the door slammed shut behind them and to their dismay, a group of Kindred were waiting for them and they did not look happy.

"Who killed them?" The blonde one stepped forward, eyeing the two girls. Audrey immediately stepped in front of Rebekah, knowing she had to take the fall.

"I did."

The blonde Kindred snarled and the entire group grabbed for Audrey who did not fight them. She knew what fighting would lead to, so she allowed them to take her. Rebekah was panicking again. If they did that much damage to Audrey for not obeying them, she could only imagine the punishment for killing not one, but two of their members. She also assumed that she would be punished too since she was a guilty party as well. She swallowed thickly and stared down at the one Kindred was left behind. Following Audrey's example, she offered her arm and muttered.

"I'll come willingly."

* * *

 _I wish to be a part of Hope's life._

Klaus' watering blue eyes read over Audrey's wish for the thousandth time that evening. After he left the compound, he arrived at the cemetery to see the crypt empty and his mother gone. An empty blood bag lay crumpled on the floor and Klaus thought he would send his fist through the stone walls that surrounded him. His pious mother had taken his deal which he hadn't expected in all his planning. Not only did he have Finn to worry about, but his mother was also back on the loose. It seemed that he just couldn't win even at his own game that he had crafted so carefully and aligned the pieces in his favor. He called the necessary parties to deliver the news and confined himself to an iron-wrought balcony that overlooked a dimly lit New Orleans street.

He now knew why she was so rigid and hesitant the day before. She was afraid of overstepping herself with Hope and Hayley. He and Hayley had their past, but their future was to take care of Hope at all costs and protect her from any kind of danger. Audrey had been doing that long before she even met Hope, so Klaus immediately felt as though she had granted her own wish without even realizing it. He held the paper tightly in his fist, vowing to get her back from whatever place Kol sent her. In a perfect world, Rebekah and Audrey would be together, but the world was not perfect nor was Kol ever neat when it came to executing pranks. Klaus pocketed her wish before making himself scarce from New Orleans. In light of this madness, he had a daughter to go home to.

* * *

 **Hello and Happy belated Thanksgiving to all of you! I am so sorry for my absence lately, but I've been super, super busy with work. Here's the next chapter for you guys! I hope you enjoy it ;)**

 **I know not everyone who reads my works celebrates Thanksgiving, but during my turkey coma (it's a real thing, people!) I was overcome by the amount of support I continue to receive for my stories over the years. I know the number of reviews I get per chapter has gone down for both stories and I worry my time might be ending on Fanfiction :( Please continue to review! It let's me know you guys are there and interested. I do want to finish both of these stories to their ends and I do intend to, but I need some help from you guys! Keep being awesome and click that review button!**

* * *

 **BrittStar1199:** Thank you for reviewing! Yes! Elijah and Giuliana FINALLY did it, but it seems like Elijah is still haunted by his past. I do feel bad for Audrey too. It's an awkward situation for her to be in, but hopefully talking more with Rebekah will give her the strength she needs. Although, those Kindred don't look too happy with Audrey. Will they break her before she can leave the house alive? Muah ah ah ;)

 **NicoleR85:** Thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

 **Only reviewer:** Thank you so much for reviewing! I like both couples too. I feel like they click well together despite having their disagreements along the way. Hmm, I don't have actresses in mind. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts :) Leave your suggestion in a review!


	11. Brotherhood of the Damned

**My Soul to Keep**

 **Chapter 11: Brotherhood of the Damned**

 **Beta: un-beta'd**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Originals. I only own my characters.**

* * *

"Marcel? You in here?" Giuliana's voice made the vampire in question quickly cover his werewolf bite. He crossed his arms over his chest and greeted her as she shut the doors behind her. He'd just gotten off the phone with Klaus who had promised to help him get out of the compound. Marcel had a stash of Klaus' blood back at his apartment just in case of emergencies and this was a huge emergency.

"Hey! What are you doing in here?" He asked as nonchalantly as he could.

"Came to enjoy the quiet." She replied and plopped down in an armchair opposite him. "How are you holding up?"

"By the looks of it, you're doing a lot better than me." He chuckled. "What's your secret?"

"Believe it or not, Elijah has some good control methods." The vampire smiled warmly at him.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Elijah's always been cool as a cucumber when it comes to situations like these. Although, lately I've heard he's been slipping."

"That's a gross understatement, but I think he's getting better."

"I hope so. Imagine two of Klaus in New Orleans?"

"Or two of Kol?" She grinned cheekily.

"Ah, talking ill of me? I've never known you to be rude, pretty Giuliana." Kol Mikaelson tsked. He slithered into the room and passed an accusatory glance between the two vampires.

"You know nothing about me, Kol." She countered.

Kol was going to indulge her, but the sound of his voice was drowned out by the tolling bells at St. Ann's church. Previously, Giuliana hated the loud ringing that made her insides shake, but when it shut Kol up, boy she loved the bells and wished she could ring them all day long.

"What's with the church bells?" Kol asked. "It sounds like the preamble to me own bloody funeral."

"Play your cards right and it might actually be your own funeral." Giuliana smirked to which Kol rolled his eyes.

Marcel smirked over at the green eyed vampire before looking to Kol. "It's Carillon Eve. The locals shroud the eyes of angels, so the dead can walk among us for a night without judgment. The bells wake the dead and guide them to eternal rest _._ So, whether you live or die today, you can join the festivities."

"Ooh, fun." Giuliana wiggled her eyebrows at Kol.

"Oh, Marcel." Kol feigned injury by placing a hand over his heart. "You're gonna make certain that I live. I'm the only one that knows how to find Rebekah and Audrey."

"That's because you underestimate how hungry I am, and how much I'd like to appease my hungry friends right outside that door." He watched Kol carefully as he sat down on the couch across from him.

"And just what would Davina say about that? Because I'm not one to kiss and tell, obviously," Kol was smug now and Marcel's calm demeanor quickly soured. "But, uh, I think she likes me!"

"Watch your mouth!" The vampire was out of his seat and crouched over Kol, his arms leaning on the chair's rest as though to cage him in. "Before I drain every vein of yours myself!"

"Marcel!" Giuliana called to him, placing a cautious hand on his shoulder. She could see the hunger getting to him quickly and as much as no one wanted to admit it, they needed Kol alive and well.

"Come on, he's not worth it." She added, her voice somehow shaking Marcel of his fixation of sucking on Kol's saturated veins and he slowly straightened up. Marcel stormed out of the room, the door slamming behind him and it was Giuliana's turn to show her anger.

"Thanks darling." Kol lifted his feet to rest on the table before him and crossed his arms behind his head.

"Don't think too much into it." She snapped. "You're lucky he isn't throwing you to the rest of the vampires out there."

"But you're forgetting one very important thing," The warlock grinned wolfishly at her. "You need me."

"Only until you get us out of here. After that, you're fair game." She glared daggers at him. "Get to work."

"So bossy." Kol chuckled. "I bet that's why Elijah likes you."

In seconds Kol was lifted out of his chair and held to the cobblestone wall by his neck. He was staring down into blood red eyes and sharp fangs that could slice him to ribbons. Giuliana's hand tightened around his throat, her nails digging dangerously into his flesh. Kol tried to wrench her hand away, but he was facing the realization that his wilily humor had gotten him in trouble...again.

"Easy! I was just joking!" He wheezed as his heels kicked against the wall behind him. Over the vampire's shoulder, Kol caught sight of the doors opening and a very weary Marcel perked up once he processed what he was seeing.

"Woah! Hey, Giuliana!" He sped to her, pressing his hands to her back and jostling her to try and loosen Kol. Her grip only tightened, so Marcel yanked her away, still holding her from behind. Kol slid down the wall and hit the floor quite roughly, a hand at his neck as he sucked in gulps of air.

"You...you lot are bloody insane!" Kol coughed out. Marcel coached Giuliana to breathe deeply while ushering her from the room. Once the doors were closed behind them, he turned her around and began barking orders at her angrily.

"Are you crazy?! We need him!"

"I'm...I'm sorry Marcel." Giuliana shook the hunger from her eyes. "I lost my cool."

"It better not happen again, soldier!" He was in her face now. Giuliana raised an eyebrow at the nickname he'd given her, but that reaction only made him angrier.

"You got a problem, soldier?!"

Giuliana had never seen him so irate. Quite frankly, he was frightening her. It was as though he was looking right through her. As if snapping out of a trance, Marcel fell to his knees in a sweating mess. She crouched down beside him, her hands on either side of his clammy face. When he looked up at her he was blinking rapidly, his pupils dilating and contracting at an alarming rate.

"Joe?" He whispered.

The green eyed vampire shook her head. "No. It's me, Marcel. It's Giuliana."

Marcel gave a shiver, seeming to snap out of his haze. "Oh...Giuliana, yeah."

"What happened to you?" She was now checking his body for any wounds, sweeping her hands over him. He gave a groan when she passed her palm along his bite wound and she stared back at him with wide eyes when she lifted up the sleeve of his shirt.

"Oh God."

"It's looks worse than it is." Marcel tried to pull his arm away, but Giuliana held fast to him.

"How long have you had this?"

"A couple hours at least."

Her emerald orbs ran over the punctured skin. "You can't stay like this, Marcel. It'll only get worse."

"I know that." He was able to pull down his sleeve to cover the bite. "But here's the thing..we're stuck in here and I can't get to my little private stash of Klaus' blood at my place."

Giuliana rocked back on her heels before helping Marcel to his feet. "Do the others know?"

"No," he was quick to answer. "And they can't know."

"Why?" She asked. "You can't lie to them."

"Please, Giuliana. I can't have them know." He pleaded with her. "I don't want them to think their leader can't be strong for them in a time like this."

"Marcel, they will understand."

He took her hands, holding them tightly and rubbed his fingers along the backs. "Giuliana, for me. Please don't say anything to them."

Looking down at their joined hands, she frowned at the news Marcel wanted to keep from the others. She knew it could only end badly. Between Marcel's werewolf bite and Finn's bloodlust spell, she wasn't sure which incident would explode first. Her eyes then trailed to where his bite mark remained covered for the time being and she sighed.

"Fine. Only for you."

"Thanks." He squeezed her hands before letting them fall to her side.

"When you were shouting back there...where did your mind go?"

Marcel swallowed thickly before replying. "1914, just after World War I started. A buddy of mine...he served with me."

"Joe?"

He nodded, but didn't continue speaking. Giuliana took that as a sign that he'd rather keep Joe as a memory. She gently patted his shoulder.

"We need to be strong through this."

"I know." He smiled weakly back at her.

* * *

Sometime later, Giuliana joined her comrades in outer part of the compound. They'd asked for any news Marcel had told her. She had told them to continue to stay strong and that Marcel was doing the best that he could considering the circumstances. She couldn't fault Marcel for keeping a brave face, but she had worried that news of his werewolf bite would cause him to lose the trust of the company he kept. Many of the vampires had isolated themselves to corners of the large space, trying to stay as far away from one another as possible for fear of turning on them. Gia and Josh were seated at the long table and Giuliana joined them, giving them a reassuring nod, but Gia wasn't fooled.

"What the hell is wrong with Marcel?" Gia asked. "How much longer do we have to stay here?"

Josh shook his head, his gaunt features stretching across his skin. "I don't know. I can't even think straight, I'm so freaking hungry."

"We're _all_ hungry."

"Maybe that's just it." Giuliana interjected hoping to throw both vampires off Marcel's scent. "We're all hungry; Marcel included. Even a fearsome leader can hit a wall."

"Yeah, but it's bad when our _fearsome leader_ is just as much on his last leg as we are." Gia glowered and Giuliana glared at her.

"Cut him some slack, would you Gia? Try to place yourself in his shoes."

"I know I'd do a damn better job if I was in his shoes." Both women were standing toe to toe with one another while Josh had begun backing away slowly, not wanting to get in the middle of an epic catfight.

Suddenly, the door leading to the upper balcony opened and Kol jogged himself down the stairs, grinning impishly at the two vampires who backed away from one another just slightly. The whites of their eyes had begun to turn red with hunger and their rising anger only added fuel to their already raging fires.

"Retract those claws, darlings." He tsked at them. Gia sidestepped Giuliana and sauntered over to him.

"Really? That's a shame because I've got a good place to sink them into." She was salivating now, her reddening gaze glued to the pulsing veins in his neck.

Kol squared off with her with no intention of backing down. "You come anywhere near me, and I will give you a headache that will last a century."

"It'll be worth it!" She moved to bite at his neck, but Kol thrust his hand out and clamped it into a fist, sending Gia into a fit of pained shouts. Josh bared his fangs, ready to attack Kol, but Giuliana yanked him back, snarling to make him back down.

"Anyone care to explain what's going on?" Marcel appeared before the group and shoved Kol backwards. His spell on Gia broke and she remained at her knees, recovering from the pain inflicted on her.

"Your so-called protection detail was trying to eat me!" Kol shouted at Marcel.

"Back off. You know better than to be around hungry vampires." Giuliana stepped forward. "You being here is provoking us. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"I think I should teach you lot a lesson." Kol outstretched his hand to be in front of Giuliana's face. He inhaled to begin chanting a spell, but instead his eyes rolled back in his head and he crumpled to the ground in a heap. They all backed away from him, stunned by his sudden collapse.

"Uh, what just happened?" Josh asked.

Giuliana held up her hands in a gesture of innocence. "Don't look at me. I didn't do anything. He just...hit the floor. I'm not complaining at all. Thank God it's quieter in here."

"Yeah, but he was working on a way to get us all out." Gia grumbled.

"And he'll do that...after he takes a little nap." Josh added, earning a pointed look from his friend. "What? Just trying to make light of the situation."

"That's all you've done Josh. Can you actually try and be helpful?"

Josh was on edge now. He was ready to pummel his friend into the cement ground. "Why are you being such a bitch? We're all in this together, Gia."

"I'm being a bitch?! At least I'm taking this whole thing seriously!"

The two were now shouting over one another, each clamoring for the spotlight. Marcel carefully kept close to the pair, worried they might attack one another, but he was suddenly brought back to Giuliana who had fallen silent. She had turned herself away from the arguing vampire pair and was staring down at Kol's lifeless body. He moved closer to place a hand on her shoulder to ask if she was alright, but his motions froze seeing a trickle of blood falling from Kol's nose. Her reddening gaze was transfixed and Marcel watched her fangs become more visible as the seconds ticked on. She was salivating and ready to pounce, but Marcel stood in front of her, blocking her vision of Kol.

"Hey, Giuliana. Look at me. You have to hold strong, okay?" His soothing voice was managing to keep her at bay until she had suddenly doubled over and shouted in pain. At the sound, Josh and Gia stopped their arguing, concern written all over their faces as they looked between Marcel and Giuliana. When the latter finally got a hold of herself, her gaze was now murderous as she saw Marcel as being in the way of her food. She hissed through her fangs and tackled him to the ground.

Marcel treated her as if she were a werewolf and tried his best to keep her fangs from becoming embedded in his skin. She was snarling and chomping at his neck, becoming angrier by the second that each bite was just out of reach. Josh and Gia each gripped an arm, yanking roughly at Giuliana to get her away from Marcel, but she resisted them.

"We're gonna dislocate her arms!" Josh huffed and locked Giuliana's arm in between his.

"Who cares! Just pull!" Gia could feel her clammy hands slipping against Giuliana's skin. Seeing an opportunity, the rabid vampire got her arm free and backhanded Gia hard. The vampire staggered back, holding her broken cheekbone and split skin. With one vampire off her, Giuliana had enough leverage to sink her teeth into Marcel. She moaned against his neck once his hot blood splattered against her tongue and she sucked feverishly in an effort to get her fill before Gia was pulling at her again. Josh's efforts became futile and he was going to grab both Giuliana's arms when she suddenly ripped her mouth from Marcel's neck.

She let out a harsh gasp and sat up, blood staining her lips and chin. One hand clutched her mouth while the other raked against her stomach. Josh pulled Marcel away and the three vampires all backed away from her. Giuliana's body began to seize and a series of groans fell from her mouth before the putrid stench of vomit followed shortly after. The dark crimson liquid that was now pooling on the cement reeked of infection and death and it made the other vampires loose their appetite for blood. She wretched, emptying the contents of her stomach onto the floor. It seeped into the shallow cracks and spread along the grout. The bite at Marcel's neck healed quickly, but the one at his arm throbbed painfully. Giuliana must have ingested some of the venom that was already in his bloodstream. As long as she got it all up, she'd be fine. Perhaps she wouldn't go after him again during the span of their entrapment.

"Marcel..." Gia called as she watched him kneel beside the puking vampire, but he ignored her. Instead, he clasped Giuliana's waves in his shaking fingers and held them back.

"I'm...I'm s-sorry." Giuliana choked out in between deep pants and Marcel shushed her. "I'm sorry—"

"It's alright. I know you didn't mean it." He consoled her.

"What is she talking about?" Gia asked, her eyes dancing between the two who looked as though someone had caught onto their secret. Giuliana swallowed, pushing some saliva down her throat and looked warily at Marcel. He was quiet for a moment, but he very slowly got to his feet and rolled up his sleeve. It was time to come clean.

Both Gia and Josh's eyes went wide at the festering bite and they opened and closed their mouths like fish out of water. The female surged forward and gently took his arm in her hands, examining the deep, angry wound. Josh moved to help a still shaken Giuliana to her feet, but his eyes stayed fixed on the bite mark. Truthfully he'd hoped this was all one big hallucination to wake up from, but he hadn't woken up yet, so the chances of that were slim to none.

"Is that a werewolf bite?" Gia asked.

"It's a scratch." Marcel's words faltered.

"Marcel." Giuliana scolded him and all three vampires stared back at her. She gave them a grave nod.

"It is a bite!" Josh was panicking now. "You're six ways to dead if you don't get Klaus' blood in you."

"And what about when those guys find out?" Gia nodded her head towards the closed door that held the other vampires.

"Well, they're not _gonna_ to find out! Which means you're both gonna keep your mouth shut about this."

Both vampires were about to protest, but the loud sounds of the ringing bells distracted them. Marcel could practically see it now, adults and children wearing red and white robes as they paraded down the streets ringing handbells in preparation for the Carillon Eve festival. His stomach churned at the thought of fresh food right outside the compound doors, but right now they were trapped and doomed to starve.

"You hear that?" Gia glared. "That's the sound of _food_ that we can't even get near while you're sitting here protecting that _idiot."_

Marcel shook his head, trying his best to ignore Kol's unmoving body. "It is _just_ hunger, Gia. Lots of people on earth have been a lot hungrier than us."

"You made us a promise when you turned us. You had goals we bought into. But _look_ at us! We've been wolf-bait, beaten up, stuck exiled across the river, then stuck _here!_ And now, when we're all looking to you for help, you don't even tell us that you're _dying."_ She hissed at him and then whirled to face Giuliana who was trying to wipe the dried blood from her lips.

"And you. I thought out of everyone that you'd have our backs because you're one of us." Gia's fists opened and closed at her sides. "You didn't choose to be a vampire. You were forced into it. I figured you'd understand and want to be on our side, but I guess I was wrong. You're just as much as a lying snake as the Mikaelsons. I hope you're happy living with yourself."

Giuliana didn't speak. Part of it was the overwhelming hunger and the other was the urge to vomit again to get rid of any extra venom in her body. Gia was right, the choice to become a vampire wasn't her own, rather a combination of Elijah's blood and sheer luck. She hadn't anticipated living after the battle between the Mikaelsons and Genevieve's witch coven, but she recalled the exact moment life entered her body after she'd been lying dead on an altar with a knife through her chest. Transitioning to a vampire was hard, but the Mikaelsons were there for her when she needed them, specifically Elijah. So, maybe Gia was right. Maybe she was becoming like the Mikaelsons, but it was better than being without a family.

Gia turned back to Marcel who was struggling to stand up straight from his bite and the crippling hunger that shocked every nerve in his body. "You're supposed to be our leader, but right now, you suck at it."

* * *

"Okay. Point made." Kol wiped the blood off his upper lip in annoyance. He was getting quite tired of being in Finn's presence especially after being inflicted by a pain spell. Four brothers sat in a dark hunt room, a place where witches would bring their enemies to practice magic. Their bodies remained unconscious in the physical world and in this astral plane, Finn held all the power since he was the witch that brought them there. Each Mikaelson sibling had the head of an animal mounted on the wall just above their seats. For Klaus it was a wolf, fittingly so. A noble stag rested above Elijah while a fox represented Kol. Finn's animal of choice was a boar which was something Klaus managed to poke fun of upon first entering the room and noticing the significance of the animals.

"Now, nobody loves a joke like old fox-boy here, but if you could just get me back to my body-"

"I must confess, I rather enjoy watching you twist in the wind." Elijah pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Kol. "Not unlike the way you left Rebekah, I imagine."

"Yes! What _did_ you do to Rebekah?" Finn wondered gleefully.

"For goodness sake, she crossed me, so I crossed her back!"

"And what of Audrey?" Klaus grumbled.

"I don't know where she is, Nik!" Kol argued. "Why would I harm Audrey? She's the only girl any of you brought around that actually enjoyed my company."

"Tolerated is the term I prefer to use." Elijah interjected.

"Whatever." Kol rolled his eyes. Klaus looked unmoved by his brother's confession. "Nik, you have to believe me. If Finn could just get me back to my body, I'll tell anybody anything that they need to know!"

Finn flicked his wrist in Kol's direction, making him cry out and hold his nose as it began to bleed again. "I don't think you'll live long enough in your human body. Certainly not in a room full of starving vampires. Maybe it's time for you to go enjoy the rest of your mortal life while you still can."

Finn's fingers formed into a fist and Kol disappeared from the hunt room.

* * *

Giuliana huffed as she moved Kol's limp body to rest onto the couch in the compound. Gia and Josh were close nearby while Marcel was contemplating at the far side of the room, neither of them had said a word to the other. It was the most uncomfortable silence in the world, but it was quickly broken by Kol gasping and sitting up on the couch. Suddenly, all the vampires had swarmed around him, blinking down at his pulsing veins settled within the fleshy pulp of his neck. Kol backed into the couch and looked anxiously up at the group that was surrounding him.

"Is it too late for an apology?"

At his words, Gia lunged first, but Marcel gripped Kol and sped them to a room upstairs. Gia still wasn't satisfied and moved to follow them, but Giuliana blocked her path.

"Move! Now!"

Giuliana held up her hands. "I can't let you go after him. He's our only ticket out of here."

"Stop defending them!" She hissed. The other female vampire turned her back on her and began to walk up the stairs to see what Marcel and Kol were up to, but the whooshing sound of wood cutting through the air made her whip around. She had just managed to catch the splintered leg of the couch that Gia had broken off and hurled at her. Josh stood opened mouthed as Giuliana peered down at the weapon in her hands. He had to get out from in between these two or else he'd be getting the brunt of their assaults. Giuliana glared at Gia, her fangs coming out from behind her teeth.

"I've been looking forward to this."

* * *

"Thanks mate." Kol breathed out a sigh of relief as Marcel closed and barred the door behind them. He'd whisked the warlock away where the other vampires couldn't get to him, but that didn't mean he was out of the woods just yet.

Marcel's fangs flashed giddily. "Oh, don't thank me yet." He moved to lunge at Kol who held his hands up defensively.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold it! Hold it together. Just for a little while longer." He begged and pointed a thin finger in the direction of one of the windows that faced the outside. The sun was rapidly setting in the distance on the horizon.

"A few minutes, to be exact."

"What are you talking about?"

"Finn." Kol replied. "He plans to release the lot of you at sundown."

The words alone were enough to shut Marcel's unquenchable thirst down. Finn's plan was to keep them all cooped up inside and then to spring them free on the crowded streets. He knew his band of vampires wouldn't be able to control themselves. It would be a bloodbath. He could practically see the bodies lined up along the streets. He began to pace nervously now, his mind jumping into gear to think of a plan.

"The streets will be jam-packed with people right outside the gate." Marcel rubbed his hand over his angry features.

"And you'll be half-crazed with hunger. You'll feed your way through the crowd and that will be the end of vampires secretly living off the fat of New Orleans!" Kol watched as Marcel wobbled uneasily on his feet. Cautiously, he drew closer and snapped his fingers in front of the vampire's face to get him to focus.

"Marcel!" It did work, but only slightly. Marcel could still see wisps of Joe standing at different corners of the room as his eyes shifted around in their sockets. Kol, now fully aware of the severity of the situation placed his hands on Marcel's shoulders to steady him.

"Listen to me. You are outmaneuvered, out-manned, and, quite frankly, you're...you're out of your mind. We're not going to get out of this alive."

Marcel shook his head. "No. We are _all_ getting out of this alive."

* * *

With Kol gone from the hunt room, Elijah and Klaus sat on pins and needles while Finn sauntered in between their respective thrones. Finn was a tricky character even as a vampire, but even more so now that he had magic at his disposal. With magic, Finn could weasel information out of anyone and that's what Klaus worried about the most. Especially with Audrey missing, she couldn't protect the few people that knew about Hope from Finn.

"So, what shall we talk about while we wait for nightfall?" Finn placed a hand at his chin and thought for a moment before gasping mockingly as if the idea had suddenly hit him like a light bulb going off.

"Oh! I know! Let's talk about our parents."

"You know, I figured you wouldn't be kind to Mother, but imagine my surprise to learn that Mikael met the same fate!" Klaus smirked over at Finn. "Bravo, brother."

"You see, the parent I was interested in talking about was _your_ father. Your real one." Finn was now crouching in front of Klaus. LI mean, you _longed_ to know him your whole life, yet at the first opportunity, you murdered him! Why, I wonder?"

Klaus leaned forward, refusing to back down from his father. "Possibly the same reason you took out Esther. Severing parental ties has a way of freeing one up to recognize one's true potential."

"Quite." Finn grinned wickedly. "But, Esther was no fool. She pinpointed your wants, and knowing your true father was at the top of the list."

Finn made a slashing motion across his neck and added a sound effect for emphasis. He chuckled and them moved to Klaus's side, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "No, something else occupies the top of your list of affections. And it's not your favorite city."

"Because I'm about to take that from you, using your own vampires, and I barely get a rise out of you! I thought _maybe_ it was Rebekah, but you remain calm, even when the _one_ who knows her fate probably just met his."

Elijah let out a frustrated sigh, one of the few sounds he'd made since entering the room. "I am fighting the _monumental_ urge to mount your severed head upon one of these walls."

Finn rolled his eyes, ignoring his other brother's threat. "And _then_ , I thought it was your favorite brother, but Mother _broke_ him into a thousand pieces, and rather than fix him, you left him to fend for himself God knows where."

"But then, I thought it was your little witch." Finn's hand squeezed Klaus' shoulder and the hybrid visibly tensed.

"By the way, where is that darling creature that has managed to wrap you around her finger?"

"Leave her out of this." Klaus was seething now.

"Ah, there is that spark I was missing from you, brother." Finn grinned wickedly. "Now, I was positive that she was at the top of your list, but I was wrong."

Elijah cast a sideways glance at his brother who was struggling to keep his composure with Finn so close to him. He was fighting every murderous urge in his body while Klaus was trying to keep his own temper under control. Finn sized up both brothers again before turning back to Klaus again and standing in front of his chair.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were hiding something from me. Something big. Something _dark._ Maybe your real father found out what it was, and you _had_ to kill him?"

It was Klaus' turn to size up his brother. He leaned forward, coming dangerously close to Finn's face. "You want to know why I killed my father?"

Finn smirked widely. "Yeah."

"Because when blood relations let me down, I don't stop to reason with them. I _remove_ them."

"So, the secret is there is no secret?" His brother peered skeptically at him. "You long for nothing, care for no one?"

Klaus gave his brother the biggest smile he could fathom. A grin so big and fake that he felt his cheeks aching. He had to put up this farce in front of his brother if he wanted his secret to continue to be hidden. Finn stroked his chin, carefully analyzing his brother's calmness for a few silent moments. He gave a tsk and shook his head.

"The problem is, brother, I don't believe you. It's _clear_ to me that you're hiding something. And, as I control your presence here, we've got all the time in the world to figure out just what that might be."

* * *

"Listen guys, Marcel is gonna get us out of here." Josh was trying his best to console the vampires around him that had caught wind of Marcel's werewolf bite. Gia had no problem spreading the news after she and Giuliana were yanked apart by a few members of the group. They were dragged to opposite corners of the room and commanded that they give up their foolish quarrels and focus on the big picture. That was when Gia explained to them that the big picture was that Marcel lied to all of them. Many were enraged, betrayed by someone who was meant to lead them through times of difficulty, but most were just impossibly hungry.

Gia and the rest of the vampires turned their gaze toward the sound of the balcony doors opening above them and were growling as soon as Marcel's form appeared from the shadows. He looked down at his loyal followers, seeing the hate in their eyes and sensing the hunger that was threatening to tear them apart.

"I'm gonna give you two minutes to explain why we don't come up there and take the witch. You lied to us!" Gia shouted up to him and the other vampires grumbled in agreement. "You betrayed everything that you taught us. How can you lead us?"

"I'm sorry I let you down, okay? All of you. But, the way that you are feeling right now, this despair? This hunger? I have been through it, and if you let me help you survive it, I guarantee you, it will _only_ make you stronger!" He preached to the vampires below.

"At sundown, Vincent's gonna drop that barrier spell right there, and those doors are gonna open, and we are gonna be smack in the middle of a parade of innocent people. We can't fall apart now!"

Gia moved closer to where he was. "Innocent, guilty—we're _hungry_. We _have_ to feed!"

The crowd suddenly erupted, proclaiming that they didn't care who they fed on, just as long as they drank their fill so their hunger could end. Giuliana was beside Josh, watching the congregation of vampires grow rowdier.

"We _don't_ feed on locals!" Marcel interjected. "That's our rule! That's how we've survived three hundred years in this city, and that is why we get to call it home! Because we _live_ by a code."

"The same one that won't let you tell your own people that you're dying of a werewolf bite?" Gia's counter caused the vampires to chatter amongst one another, realizing Marcel's betrayal would bring destruction upon them.

Marcel leapt off the balcony, vamp-speeding to land among his people. "I'm not dying of anything! I've got a vial of Klaus' blood at my place right across the river, along with enough blood to satisfy all of you!"

The group were now casting sideways glances to one another, intrigued at the sound of a healthy blood supply. Gia crossed her arms over her chest, not wanting to buy into Marcel's speech, but even the promise of blood was enough to make her tough exterior crack. Giuliana allowed a small smile to make its way to her lips at the volumes Marcel spoke. He had managed to get the vampires to listen to him and she hoped they would get on his side and put his betrayal behind them. Her gaze met his and she nodded, a silent promise that she would follow him.

"All we have to do is get there." Marcel added and addressed his congregation. "At least everyone one of you has asked me after you were turned what I was fighting for. I told you that I was fighting for this city, for our home. But if we feed out there, we lose it. The barrier will be down any moment now. Let me help you get home."

The church bells tolled again just as the sun's last presence in the compound disappeared until a haze of darkness surrounded them all. They'd been so involved with their hunger that they had forgotten that the world outside them had continued to go on despite feeling as though they were in a continuous time loop. The front entrance suddenly seemed like such a daunting place for them to even look at. Marcel swallowed thickly and approached the entrance with the utmost caution. He gingerly held out his hand and slowly moved it towards where the barrier had kept them caged. He half expected to get burned by the magic, but with the spell broken, he and his comrades could pass through.

"It's down. Let's go." Marcel looked behind him, gauging who would follow him and to his relief the group moved as a whole to join him as they passed through the entrance and out onto the crowded street.

* * *

"And what do you suspect I am hiding?" Klaus asked his brother who was seated in his own chair across the room. "You know I care for nothing and no one, so my dear brother you might as well be beating a dead horse."

Finn looked up from his hands that had been clasped in front of his chin in careful contemplation. "I'll find it, brother. All in good time."

"You might as well let the two of us go. We're of no use to you now." The hybrid was grasping at straws, but he had to find a way for Finn to set them free. Hope needed his protection and he couldn't be much help to her if him and Elijah were in the hunt room.

"Perhaps, but—" Finn now focused his gaze on his other brother who was becoming more and more perturbed by the second. "You've been awfully quiet, Elijah. Tell me, what weighs on your mind?"

"Finn, I do not wish to spend a moment longer here with you in this room." Elijah crossed one leg over the other and leaned his hands against the arms of the chair. "That point being made, I suggest it would be best for you to free us from the awfully dull place that is your subconscious."

His brother laughed aloud, tickled by Elijah's calm words, but he knew the weight behind them. While Elijah was always the more composed of the siblings, they knew not to mistake his kindness for weakness. Finn moved to stand behind Elijah's chair, weaving his next remark.

"Maybe you aren't number one on Klaus' list, but is it possible that you know what is?"

Elijah remained facing forward as he fixed the sleeves on his jacket. "Now, Finn, I'b spent quite a bit of time rotting away in a mausoleum while our mother tormented my mind."

"Ah, yes. The Red Door." Finn grasped the shoulders of the chair and leaned himself closer to Elijah. "A reminder of no matter how clean your suit is that you will always be a monster in a mask."

"And what does this make you?" Klaus intervened quickly seeing Elijah's composure begin to crack. "Aligning yourself with our mother to destroy us, trapping the vampires and werewolves in the compound to sabotage peace efforts. Need I go on?"

"Simply returning the favor after what you did to our mother." Finn growled in Klaus' direction. "How can you live with yourself?"

Klaus smirked and reclined back in his chair. "If I had the chance, I'd do it all over again."

Finn inflicted both brothers with multiple aneurisms exploding in their brains. Their cries of pain were the last things he heard before he banished their presences from the hunt room. Heaving in anger, Finn promised he would figure out what Klaus was hiding. His brother put up a strong front, but there had to be a way to get inside his head. He then exited the hunt room himself and was back inside the Lafayette Cemetery, still a ball of anger. The bells from the church chimed in the distance and he'd nearly forgotten about Marcel and his band of vampires. Perhaps he'd drop in and see how the bloodbath was going.

* * *

"What a day." Giuliana huffed as she slammed down her fourth blood bag of the night.

Josh nodded while his lips were closed around the straw of his own bag. Once he swallowed a few gulps, he replied, "I'll say."

To everyone's surprise, the entire hoard of vampires made it through the streets and to Marcel's place in one piece. Not one vampire was left behind, nor were any human lives taken during their journey. Marcel's vampires had taken to his blood supply in the basement while he got himself a vial of Klaus' blood to heal his bite. The floor was littered in blood bags, but Marcel could hardly care. He'd managed to lead his people through a dark hour and he was living on cloud nine.

"So, you and Gia?" Josh wondered. "You guys okay now?"

Giuliana shrugged and found Gia and Marcel talking by the bay window. "I mean, I don't want to rip her head off as much, but she pissed me off earlier."

"Look, she's mad because you and Marcel hid a secret from everyone."

"Tough luck. That's life for you." The female countered.

"She's also pretty sour that you align yourself with the Mikaelsons and not us." Josh added and stabbed his straw into another blood bag.

Rolling her eyes, the vampire jutted out her hip. "And so what? I knew the Mikaelsons long before you guys. And besides, Elijah and I are..."

Josh watched her body language change when the Original's name flew out of her mouth. Suddenly she wasn't so confident and guarded. Instead she was somber and vulnerable. Her gaze softened and she drummed her fingertips against the counter. It wasn't often he saw her so shaken, but in a way it reminded the both of them how they were still very much human despite their vampiric lifestyle. He waited for her to speak and was given a few long moments of silence before her eyes met his once again.

"I love him, Josh." Giuliana confessed.

The vampire nodded his head, a smile coming to his lips. "It's like you tell me, you can't control who you love."

Giuliana's smile matched his and the pair shared a chuckle before going back to their blood bags. It wasn't long after until Marcel and Gia joined them. The men greeted each other warmly, but the women were cold as ice. Neither of them were ready to budge on apologizing to the other. Josh felt himself becoming anxious with the death stares being flung across the space between the women, so he gently took Gia by the arm and mentioned something about her looking too gaunt and getting more blood.

"She's still sour at me?" Giuliana asked once the pair was out of earshot.

"Well, you did stake her in the stomach."

The female's eyes were suddenly ablaze. "She started it! Maybe she should learn not to cross me."

Marcel held up his hands and laughed heartily. "I'm just telling you what she told me."

"Did she tell you she broke my nose? Not once. Not twice. Three times." She counted it out for him on her fingers.

"I'm sorry you were a bit of a punching bag today, but thank you." He said. "You really helped me out today. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Ah, I didn't do anything." She waved her hand.

"You remained loyal to me about my bite. You didn't tell anyone." Marcel explained.

"Of course I didn't. You told me not to." Giuliana winked at him. "It was our little secret."

" _I do love secrets."_

Both vampires whipped around at the hauntingly familiar voice as Finn emerged from the darkened shadows of the entryway. He was grinning in such a way that made Giuliana's skin crawl. Marcel protectively pushed her behind him, shielding her as Finn drew closer to them.

"I should kill you for what you did to my vampires today." He hissed.

"Now, now. Let's not be too hasty, Marcel." Finn held out his hands. "I just came here to applaud you all for your strength of character. In fact, I just finished congratulating your little vampire-horde downstairs."

Giuliana's green eyes were suddenly wide and she moved to step around, but Marcel stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

"What did you do to them?" He asked

"Nothing that isn't reversible. I came to ask you both a question. See, earlier today, I spent some time with my brothers. They went to great lengths to hide something from me. A secret they'd do anything to keep."

Marcel kept Giuliana behind him and managed to keep up his facade, but the female was quickly becoming more and more panicked as Finn's steps creaked against the hardwood floor.

"Now, I may not be able to get it out of them, but since you two are so good at keeping secrets, I'm willing to bet I can rip it out of the both of you."

The last thing the two vampires saw was Finn's body lunging toward them before their vision went dark.

* * *

 **Ugh, I am so sorry for this late update. Between the holidays, work and constantly being sick, it's a wonder I was able to get this one out. Please leave a review. It's the equivalent of chicken noodle soup for my soul ;)**

 **NicoleR85: Thank you love! I hope you liked this one. Sorry for the wait.**

 **BrittStar1199: Audrey is a fierce bitch! One of the many qualities I love about her ;) She will make it, but that's if the cronies in the house don't break her first. And Elijah will get his shit together! I want him and Giuliana together asap. Thank you for reviewing!**

 **Only reviewer: Thank you so much for reviewing! Yes, Audrey will be meeting Freya alongside Rebekah! Audrey has black hair and light blue eyes, similar to Klaus'. Does that help you picture it better?**


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